'Downton Abbey: A New Era' trailer unveiled

After teasing fans with quick glimpses over the past several months, the trailer of 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' has been unveiled on Tuesday.

As per Deadline, the follow-up to 2019's feature adaptation of the beloved TV series appears to have two major plot strands, one involving a mystery and the other a movie; there's also a wedding afoot.

In the almost three minutes long trailer, we see the Crawley family head from the Grantham estate down to the South of France, where Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess has inherited a villa from someone in her "mysterious past."

Her rather shocked relatives wonder who this mystery man was and whether Granny ever thought to turn down the house, "Do I look as if I'd turn down a villa, in the South of France?" she quips in trademark fashion.

Meanwhile, back at Downton Abbey, the modern world is creeping in as a film crew takes over the house, much to the delight of the staff, as well as Lord Grantham's disgust.

The original principal cast has returned for the second film including Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Robert James-Collier, Phyllis Logan, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton. New additions include Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West.

'Downton Abbey: A New Era' will release in the UK on April 29 as it begins offshore rollout, and then heads to North American cinemas on May 20. Focus, Universal International and Carnival Films recently shifted the dates to put the title in the best place possible, in hopes that COVID eases and older audiences continue to show increased comfort levels with moviegoing.

The screenplay is written by Downton creator and Oscar winner Julian Fellowes, with Emmy- and BAFTA-winning Gareth Neame and Emmy-winning Liz Trubridge producing with Fellowes. BAFTA- and Emmy-nominated Simon Curtis directed the film.

( With inputs from ANI )