Downton Abbey made some big changes to the big screen with 2022’s A New Era, but Robert Crawley stars Hugh Bonneville assures Yahoo UK that the upcoming third film will be even bigger and better than anything that’s come before.
Speaking to Yahoo UK for a role recall interview, the actor shares that the film is like a “wonderful gathering of people”. Fans will be riveted by what’s next for Robert and the Crawley family, as the film is full of “leaks and thrills” according to Bonneville, who took a break from production to promote his new ITV series Douglas was cancelled.
“For my character, I think the usual [can be expected]which is that it’s kind of a dinosaur that tries to drive itself into the future reluctantly, and ends up stumbling a little bit ahead,” Bonneville teases.
“As always, there’s this pace of things changing with glacial slowness, and Robert finally accepts that things [are changing] — it’s time to move the story along, so to speak. It has the usual tropes, if you will, of thrills and spills in a very Downtown way, meaning you spill a cup of tea pretty much!
“People who have watched the show over the years and loved it will miss Maggie Smith’s presence. He doesn’t get out of the shower and it was all a dream, he’s gone.
“But I think there’s so much warmth and fun to be had, as well as new elements – which I won’t spoil – that I think it will definitely be the best iteration of the film versions yet.”
Read more: Everything we know about Downton Abbey 3
The third Downton Abbey film will see the original cast return, including Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter and Laura Carmichael, while A New Era’s Dominic West will also reprise his role as Guy Dexter. They will be joined by a host of new characters played by Paul Giamatti, Joely Richardson, Simon Russell Beale and Alessandro Nivola.
Details of the story have yet to be revealed, but Bonneville’s positivity about it seems like a good sign. The actor also talked about how it still amazes him that the franchise has become as beloved as it has since the show first premiered in 2010, because it didn’t seem like it at first.
“It never ceases to amaze me, it did when it first started in 2010 and here we are, 14 years later, making a third film,” he explains. “At least one of the producers said to us, ‘Well, it’s never going to last more than seven episodes anyway, so don’t lose too much sleep over it,’ and here we are all these years later still together.”
“What’s been really interesting is that there’s a whole new generation of people who watch it and still find it appealing, and what’s been rather heartwarming, particularly with the pandemic, [was] when people were stuck at home and revisited a show that ended five years ago.
“Each of us has received many letters from people saying, ‘I used to watch it with my Gran,’ or ‘my son who is now married,’ or ‘my husband, who is now dead,’ or whatever. a emotional resonance for the length of time it was in operation, and people find comfort in it, and revisit it like a warm bath.
“I’m not complaining because it’s been a wonderful part of my life and we’re shooting the third movie right now, it’s a wonderful gathering of people I care about a lot, and that’s just the fictional characters.”
Downton Abbey 3 is in cinemas soon, the series and films are available to watch on ITVX, Netflix and Prime Video.
Douglas is Canceled airs on ITV1 from Thursday 27 June, and our Role Recall interview with Hugh Bonneville will be released in full on the same day.
