'Downton Abbey: A New Era' trailer shows family secrets and Hollywood movie stars galore

"The modern world comes to Downton."
 By 
Rachel Thompson
 on 
Harry Hadden-Paton as Herbert "Bertie" Pelham, Marquess of Hexham, Laura Carmichael as Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham, Allen Leech as Tom Branson, and Tuppence Middleton as Lucy Branson
Watch Next

The French Riviera, movie stars, romance, and family secrets. That's what Downton Abbey: A New Era has in store for us according to a brand new trailer.

The film is written by Downton creator Julian Fellowes and directed by My Week with Marilyn director Simon Curtis, who happens to be married to Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Cora).

The second movie installment of the beloved period drama has a few adventures on the docket, namely a villa in the south of France that the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) has inherited from an old flame. Just when things couldn't possibly get more glamorous, a bunch of Hollywood movie stars rock up to Downton to shoot a movie – a project which Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) appears to be overseeing. "The modern world comes to Downton," Lady Cora declares in reference to her home becoming a movie set.

You can expect to see the full Crawley family line-up, including Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham (Laura Carmichael), Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), Tom Branson (Allen Leech), Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) as well as Carson (Jim Carter), Anna (Joanne Froggatt), Mr Bates (Brendan Coyle), to name a few.

Guest stars include Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, and Jonathan Zaccaï.

Missing from the cast list is Matthew Goode, who plays Henry Talbot, Lady Mary's second husband. Could more heartbreak be in store for Lady Mary?

Downton Abbey: A New Era arrives in cinema on April 29 in the UK May 20 in U.S.

Want more?

Topics Film

Rachel Thompson, sits wearing a dress with yellow florals and black background.
Rachel Thompson
Features Editor

Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.

A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.

Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.


A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.


The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!