A newly-released Downton Abbey film trailer hints at a mystery in the Dowager Countess’s past as the family head to France.
Downton Abbey – A New Era – which sees Dame Maggie Smith and other key cast members returning – is set for release in Ireland and the UK in April.
The hit ITV series detailed the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants, in the fictional country estate of Downton Abbey.
The film, written by Julian Fellowes, takes the familiar faces to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’s newly inherited villa as they try to escape a film crew at Downton.
The crew and various stars overtake Downton much to the distaste of Hugh Bonneville’s character Robert Crawley, who says in the trailer: “I think it’s a horrible idea, actresses plastered in make-up and actors just plastered.”
Played by Dame Maggie, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, tells the family that she inherited a villa from a man she spent some days with years prior.
The family, including Michelle Dockery, playing Lady Mary, attempt to discover her “mysterious past” in France with the man who gifted her the villa.
The trailer also shows the Dowager Countess telling Lady Mary: “Women like us fall into two categories: dragons and fools. You must make sure they think of you as a dragon…”
This is the second Downton film released following the success of the first, directed by Michael Engler and released in 2019.
The upcoming film is directed by Simon Curtis, whose other credits include My Week With Marilyn.
