Can you believe it's been so many years since Downton Abbey ended?

Luckily, in 2019, fans of the period drama series were given the chance to see the Crawley family and their many maids and footmen once more with a full-length feature film. But that was not the grand finale to the Downton Abbey Universe.

In 2021, Focus Features announced that a sequel movie - called Downton Abbey: A New Era with many of the same characters from the original series and first movie. Here is everything you need to know about Downton Abbey 2.

Downton Abbey 2: Premise

In the new movie, the Crawley family will travel to the South of France to "uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess' newly inherited villa".

Downton Abbey 2: Release date

  • Theatrical release date: 29 April 2022

In April 2021, Focus Features confirmed a Downton Abbey sequel movie would be in cinemas Christmas 2021. "After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be reunited with the much-beloved characters of Downton Abbey," Gareth Neame, the film's producer said in a statement.

In July 2021 though, the premiere date was pushed to 18 March 2022. It was then pushed back again to 29 April 2022 in the UK and 20 May 2022 in the US.

Downton Abbey 2: Where to stream

  • Streaming US release date: 9 June 2022, Amazon Prime Video US / 24 June 2022 Peacock
  • Streaming UK release date: 24 June 2022

Downton Abbey 2 is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the US as of 9 June 2022. It will also hit Peacock from 24 June, along with a new dedicated channel that will allow you to catch up on all six seasons, the first film and the one-hour special The Manners of Downton Abbey.

Peacock launched in the UK as part of Sky TV on 16 November 2021. It's available to Sky TV, Sky Glass, Sky Q, and Now customers in the UK and Ireland. That should mean that those with a Sky or Now subscription will get access to the 24/7 Downton channel on Peacock as well as the second film from 24 June 2022.

Downton Abbey 2: Trailers

You can watch the latest trailer for Downton Abbey: A New Era above. We've embedded another below.

Downton Abbey 2: Photos

You can see the first photos from the new film via the gallery below:

Downton Abbey 2: Cast and crew

Downton Abbey: A New Era is written by creator Julian Fellowes and directed by Simon Curtis.

The sequel brings back most of the principal cast members from the series and the first movie. (Per Focus Features, "The original principal cast will all once again return for the second film.) There will be new characters as well, with Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye, and Dominic West all joining the cast.

  • Hugh Bonneville - Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham
  • Elizabeth McGovern - Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham
  • Michelle Dockery - Lady Mary Talbot, the oldest Crawley daughter
  • Laura Carmichael - Edith Pelham, the Marchioness of Hexham and middle Crawley daughter
  • Maggie Smith - Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
  • Allen Leech - Tom Branson, the widowed husband of youngest Crawley daughter Sybil
  • Jim Carter - Charles Carson, the retired butler
  • Phyllis Logan - Elsie Carson, the housekeeper formerly known as Mrs Hughes
  • Robert James-Collier - Thomas Barrow, the current butler
  • Joanne Froggatt - Anna Bates, Lady Mary's maid
  • Lesley Nicol - Beryl Patmore, head cook
  • Sophie McShera - Daisy Mason, assistant cook
  • Penelope Wilton - Isobel Grey, Baroness Merton and Mary's former mother-in-law
  • Samantha Bond - Lady Rosamund Painswick, Robert's sister
  • Harry Hadden-Paton - Bertie Pelham, Marquess of Hexham and Edith's husband
  • Matthew Goode - Henry Talbot, Mary's husband
  • Douglas Reith - Dickie Grey, Baron Merton and Isobel's husband
  • Kevin Doyle - Joseph Molesley, former footman and teacher
  • Michael Fox - Andy Parker, footman
  • Imelda Staunton - Lady Maud Bagshaw, Robert's cousin
  • Tuppence Middleton - Lucy Smith, Tom's fiancee and Lady Bagshaw's heir
  • Laura Haddock - Myrna Dalgleish
Downton Abbey A New Era: Release date, trailer, cast, and rumours photo 3
Focus Features

Downton Abbey 2: Rumours

The first trailer for Downtown Abbey: A New Era teases a wedding for the character of Tom Branson, and the story of an affair from the Dowager Countess. Little else is known about the sequel's plot, but thanks to the teaser trailer, and some educated guesses, we can make assumptions about potential plotlines.

What year is it?

The first Downton Abbey film is set in 1927 and focused on a visit by King George V and Queen Mary to Downton Abbey. The sequel movie seems to immediately follow, so it could be set around 1928 or 1929. The teaser trailer shows Tom Branson marrying Lucy, whom he met in the first film.

Is the Dowager still alive?

In the first movie, Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, tells her grandaughter Mary that she is dying. Fortunately, she's seen in the teaser trailer.

We see her tell the Crawley family that she met a man before her children were born and, as a result, she now owns a villa in the south of France. Some of the Crawleys - including Lord and Lady Grantham, Lady Edith and her husband, and Tom Branson and his new wife Lucy - all appear to visit the villa.

Are Mary and Henry still together?

The teaser trailer for Downton Abbey: A New Era doesn't show Henry Talbot, Mary's husband and Tom's partner. He's played by Matthew Goode. In the teaser, the family lines up for wedding photos, but Henry is missing in action. Henry only briefly appeared in the first movie, to explain he is needed on a business trip.

For those unaware: Goode stars in A Discovery of Witches, so perhaps he only has time for a cameo in A New Era. For now, it's unknown if he will appear, and it's also unclear if Mary and Henry are still married. There's no reason to suspect otherwise, but what is a story without a little drama and conflict?

Downton Abbey 2: How to catch up

To be prepared for the latest Downton Abbey movie, you should really watch the first film and also the entire series. Below are some links to the movie and show on Peacock and Prime.

Peacock

Amazon Prime Video



What is the best streaming device for your TV? Our top recommendation is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Also excellent are the Google Chromecast with Google TV, the Roku Express 4K, the Apple TV 4K and the Amazon Fire TV Stick.