A shakeup is brewing as the residents of Downton Abbey, and their extended family, face a rapidly-approaching modern age. As a movie crew arrives to make a newfangled motion picture at the Abbey, the Dowager Countess inherits a villa in the South of France, setting in motion a trip that will bring long-buried history back to light.
We spoke to four members of the returning DOWNTON ABBEY cast: Hugh Bonneville (Robert Grantham), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Grantham), Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith) and Allen Leech (Tom Branson). All four are longtime cast members of the series and its movie follow-ups.
Whether the Abbey owners want to head into the modern age or not, simple upkeep forces the change. "Life seems normal," says Bonneville as he sets up the new story. "The roof is still leaking, the Dowager still quipping her jokes, and then the request arrives to come and shoot a film" at the Abbey. "But because of the aforementioned leak in the roof, Lady Mary thinks it might be a smart idea."
And everyone else is progressively more accepting. "Cora is quite into it," says McGovern. "She's quite excited about movie stars invading." And Laura Carmichael says, "Tom and Edith are the more forward-thinking in the family. They're excited by it and not as ruffled as some of the other characters are."
The opportunity might be exactly what Branson's character has been looking for. "Tom has constantly been trying to get the estate to make money to service the greater community," he says, "so I think Tom thinks it's a great idea — and it's obviously a great thrill to have Hollywood come to Downton."
Watch our full interview with the cast of DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA:
DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA opens on May 20.
All images courtesy of Focus Features.