Focus Features has just released new key art for the upcoming Downton Abbey: A New Era film, which is set to be released exclusively in theaters on May 20, 2022.
The new art features two images split between the title at the center, showcasing the film's split narrative. Downton Abbey: A New Era will follow Downton's inhabitants both abroad and at home. The plot of the film starts with the Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith, inheriting a villa in the south of France thanks to a long past dalliance with a mysterious benefactor. The family, after hearing of this new acquisition, sets off to explore the newly inherited property, uncovering a secret life held by the Dowager Countess many years ago.
But that's not all the adventure in store for the Crawley family as a film crew is taking over the main estate. Set in the late 1920s, the Downton estate will function as the backdrop for some golden age filmmaking. With Mary Crawley, played by Michelle Dockery, facing off with silver screen divas back home. Meanwhile, the family's patriarch Robert Crawley, his other daughter, Edith, and wife Cora set off to the south of France for sun, leisure, and a good poke around at their family matriarch's mysterious past.
Many beloved characters both from the previous Downton Abbey film and the series will return as well as several new charming, and challenging characters. Starring alongside Dockery and Smith are Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Elizabeth McGovern, and Hugh Dancy among others.
Downton Abbey was an immediate success upon its original series premiere in 2010, gaining a massive and dedicated following in its subsequent seasons. The series follows the Crawley family from 1912 onwards, after the death of the estate's heir on the Titanic. Upon his death, the estate is thrown into turmoil when a new heir from a middle-class background appears. The series explores the dynamics of the family and the estate as a whole, from both the upstairs and downstairs perspectives. The series often explored important world events throughout its run, including World War I and the 1918 flu pandemic.
Downton Abbey: A New Era is directed by Simon Curtis and written by series creator Julian Fellowes. The film is produced by Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge, and Julian Fellowes.
Downton Abbey: A New Era will premiere exclusively in theaters on May 20, 2022. And while you can't exactly turn a movie theater into a French villa, you can check out the new key art below:
