Elizabeth McGovern has disclosed details about Hugh Dancy, Dominic West, and Laura Haddock's mysterious roles in the upcoming sequel movie, Downton Abbey: A New Era.
McGovern played the Countess of Grantham in the hit British series Downton Abbey from its first episode in 2010 to the show's last season in 2015.
Downton Abbey: A New Era’s Mystery Characters
McGovern said in an interview with The Daily Mail that the Downton Abbey sequel would take place immediately after the first film, in 1928, and will have the iconic British family clashing with Hollywood.
According to the actress, Downton Abbey: A New Era will look at the advent of the "talkie" in the late 1920s, and the Crawleys will be hosting some very important celebrity visitors as they try to make one of these new and thrilling non-silent films.
Afterward, McGovern went on to explain how all of this connects to the characters of Dancy, West, and Haddock.
"I'll never forget when I showed up on set for the first time and there was Dominic West as this Hollywood actor with Laura Haddock as a silent screen star and Hugh Dancy as the director. They're having a blast in this movie, it's their personas and the humor that they bring to it."
What to Expect in the Sequel Movie
McGovern's remarks surely add some clarity to the Downtown Abbey: A New Era trailers that have been released thus far. The fact that Haddock's character is a film star explains the staff's stunned reactions to her entrance at Downton Abbey.
Fans have yet to see an official peek of Dancy and West's roles, but these will sure be released in the coming weeks, with the sequel movie's release date not long away – on Mar. 18.
McGovern also hinted at the "fantastic" performances of the new cast members. While only their professions are known at this point, the characters' daring Hollywood personalities are nearly guaranteed to upend the Crawley family's sophisticated and ever-restrained English nature.
When it came down to it, the first Downton Abbey film had relatively low stakes and lacked some of the heavier 'downstairs' drama that made the original series so riveting.
Bringing in the fast-paced world of Hollywood films and some fresh new characters might give Downton Abbey: A New Era the boost it needs to both please devoted viewers and give them a new plot to chew on now that the Roaring 20s are in full swing.
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