‘A New Era’ a delightful ‘Downton’ follow-up

In 2019, eager fans of the extremely popular ‘Downton Abbey’ TV series rejoiced when a film adaptation was released on the big screen. And, now, it’s time to see what’s going on with these beloved characters in this highly anticipated sequel.

In the Focus Features presentation of ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era,’ the much-anticipated cinematic return of the global phenomenon reunites the beloved cast as they go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ newly inherited villa.

The ‘Downton Abbey’ sequel is a great follow-up that fans of both the television series and the 2019 film will surely enjoy. ‘A New Era’ delivers a great story and some truly heart-felt moments. The follow-up film also features a few moments that will really make you laugh. The humor is scattered throughout the feature and is really memorable. And, in between the humorous bits, there are some that are very emotional, especially toward the end. I promise not to spoil it for you here, but if you really love the show and the first film, you will likely shed a tear or two toward the conclusion. Also, it’s good to see what everyone’s favorite characters have been up to since the last time we saw them on the big screen.

One thing I really want to point out is some of the scenery that is shown in the film. When some members of the Crawley family head down to the south of France, the scenery that you see is incredibly beautiful. Also, some of the scenes that feature a film crew making a film at Downton Abbey are really entertaining as well.

Overall, ‘A New Era’ is an astounding follow-up to the 2019 film. Just seeing everyone’s favorite ‘Downton’ characters back on the screen will easily put a smile on your face if you love the ‘Downton’ franchise. Before reviewing this, I re-watched the 2019 film since I haven’t really seen it since I reviewed it during its initial release and enjoyed it even more. And, who knows, maybe soon we’ll see all of these amazing characters grace the big screen again!

A lot of the ‘Downton’ cast’ is back. A lot of them include: Maggie Smith as Violet Grantham; Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary; Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith; Samantha Bond as Lady Rosamund; Allen Leech as Tom Branson; Tuppence Middleton as Lucy Branson; Imelda Staunton as Maud Bagshaw; Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Grantham; Hugh Bonneville as Robert Grantham; Penelope Wilton as Isobel Merton; Douglas Reith as Lord Merton; Jim Carter as Mr. Carson and many others. There are also a few fresh faces to join the ‘Downton’ cast, such as Hugh Dancy as Jack Barber; Laura Haddock as Myrna Dalgleish; Jonathan Zaccai as Montmirail; Dominic West as Guy Dexter and Nathalie Baye as Madame Montmirail.

‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ is written by ‘Downton’ creator Julian Fellows (The Gilded Age) and directed by Simon Curtis (The Art of Racing in the Rain; Goodbye Christopher Robin; My Week with Marilyn).

After the release of the 2019 film, creator Julian Fellowes and the cast stated that they already had ideas about doing a sequel. In January 2020, it was reported that Fellowes would begin working on it after he finished scripting the now HBO hit drama ‘The Gilded Age.’

At this moment, it is not known whether there will be a third film.

‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ is rated PG for some suggestive references, language and thematic elements and has a running time of 125 minutes.