The entire cast returns to the English countryside in “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” and CinemaBlend’s Mike Reyes got the privilege of discussing all of the behind-the-scenes details with stars Allen Leech, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt and Phyllis Logan, as well as Creator Julian Fellowes. Watch as they dive into filming a movie within a movie, the excursion to the South of France, and what they’d like to see in “Downton Abbey 3,” should it happen.
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00:00 A moving picture at Downton.
00:02 With a big little sass famous one.
00:03 Three, two, one, action!
00:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:08 How are you both today?
00:12 Good.
00:13 Thank you very much.
00:14 It's wonderful to be talking to you
00:16 about Downton Abbey, a new era.
00:18 As always, returning to Downton just
00:20 looks so effortless for everyone.
00:22 But obviously, it's a movie.
00:24 There's going to be long, grueling days on set.
00:27 And I wanted to ask you both, what was the hardest
00:30 day to get through?
00:31 [LAUGHTER]
00:33 The longest day on set, probably, I think,
00:38 one of the dining room scenes we had in France, that was--
00:43 it wasn't that the day was any longer than it normally was.
00:45 It was just that it was 32 degrees.
00:48 And we were surrounded by seafood.
00:50 It's not the best choice.
00:52 And it was all sitting out for two days,
00:54 or three days, actually.
00:55 And I had the great idea of saying
00:57 that I was happy to de-shell one of the lobster
01:00 tails in every take.
01:02 And just a couple of times, that didn't go well.
01:04 And I got spattered with cement trails.
01:05 So for me, that was definitely the longest day of filming.
01:09 Yeah, and also, I felt like the dance that
01:12 was supposed to be in France, there was only one bit
01:14 that we did a bit of doubling.
01:16 But the party at the end of France, that was a night shoot.
01:22 And we were doubling some parts of the UK
01:26 for the South of France.
01:27 And so it was pretty freezing, actually, and raining.
01:31 So that felt like a pretty long day.
01:33 Yeah, you're right.
01:35 I think we--
01:36 Always those night dances.
01:37 I know.
01:38 [LAUGHTER]
01:39 Especially because, Alan, you had the night
01:41 dance at the end of "Downton One."
01:43 And--
01:44 That's right.
01:45 --that led to a bet between the producers.
01:48 Did that bet ever get paid off?
01:51 To the best of my knowledge, Gareth Neame has not yet
01:53 paid Liz Troubridge for her great idea
01:55 of having me dance outside.
01:56 What?
01:57 To the best of my knowledge, yes.
01:59 He also said he was joking.
02:00 He also said it wasn't 500 quid, that it was a fiver,
02:03 and someone misunderstood him.
02:06 But I believe it has been paid.
02:08 Yeah.
02:08 We should get him-- someone needs to grill him on that.
02:10 Yeah, definitely.
02:13 Well, for me, I think it was probably--
02:17 Mrs. Hughes ends up in a rather bizarre outfit, which you would
02:22 not expect to see her in in normal circumstances.
02:27 And I literally couldn't get into the toilet with it.
02:33 I didn't know that.
02:34 No, no, I couldn't.
02:35 I didn't know.
02:37 I tried every way-- which way.
02:39 And so I had to--
02:42 I think I went in the field in the end.
02:43 I don't know.
02:44 I don't know what I did.
02:45 But we worked it out some way.
02:47 But it was quite a challenge.
02:48 Trust me.
02:49 That is not fun.
02:50 That is not fun.
02:53 For me, what was the hardest day?
02:56 To be perfectly honest--
02:57 It's not a hard day.
02:58 I don't think I really had a hard day.
02:59 No.
03:00 Like, in all honesty, I mean, yeah, it's just so much fun.
03:04 It's a joy.
03:05 We have such a giggle.
03:06 It's a privilege to be--
03:07 Yeah, we all know each other so well.
03:09 And we slot back into those roles.
03:10 And to have the new cast members with us,
03:13 and who were great fun and brilliant at what they did.
03:17 And it was just--
03:19 it was great.
03:20 I mean, the whole-- it was just great fun.
03:22 You know, it wasn't--
03:23 there was no hardship for me.
03:26 I'm just the mourner.
03:27 The complete-- the morning--
03:28 No, that's pretty-- that's pretty hard going
03:30 if you can't go to the loo.
03:31 Hardcore, yes.
03:33 There's trouble in paradise.
03:35 You don't need me to tell you that marriage
03:37 is a novel full of plot twists along the way.
03:39 There were rumors surrounding an iconic character
03:42 dying in the sequel.
03:44 However, the film does sort of misdirect us
03:47 with a whole plot involving Korra.
03:49 What inspired you to throw that curveball into the script?
03:54 No, I mean, I don't know what I have to say about it, really.
03:58 I mean, this is what we came to as a story.
04:02 And with Korra and Robert, who both have quite emotional
04:09 storylines this time, I felt that in the earlier film,
04:15 although they were, you know, in it a lot--
04:18 I mean, they were on screen--
04:19 but they didn't have their own particular emotional journey.
04:23 And so I did want to give them both something
04:26 with sort of meat on the bones for them
04:28 to get their teeth into, you know?
04:30 So that was conscious.
04:32 And apart from that, you know, I do my research.
04:38 And I was looking for a certain kind of condition
04:42 and that sort of thing.
04:45 And then I get advice from people who know
04:47 far more about it than I do.
04:49 Laura, Edith has gone from strength to strength
04:52 throughout the entire history of "Downton."
04:54 And now, you know, she's back to writing.
04:56 She has such a wonderful, thriving family life.
04:59 What do you think is the greatest
05:00 difference between the Edith you met
05:02 and the pilot and the Edith we see in a new era?
05:05 Oh, wow, that's a good question.
05:06 I think she really has grown and evolved.
05:10 I mean, she was very traditional,
05:13 I think, when you met her.
05:14 I think she really thought she was
05:15 going to have a very similar life to that of her grandmothers,
05:19 very well, and live in a big house.
05:21 And even though she did end up doing that,
05:24 she took a more interesting route.
05:26 And I think, you know, she really found her voice
05:29 and became a writer.
05:32 And that has given her this amazing self-confidence,
05:36 I think.
05:37 And I think you see that in this movie with her and Bertie.
05:40 She seems just in a really good place.
05:42 So yeah, she's much happier than the Edith
05:45 we met in season one.
05:47 Women like us fall into two categories, dragons and fools.
05:52 You must make sure they think of you as a dragon.
05:56 So new era is indeed dawning.
05:58 New developments, dear friends are leaving.
06:01 If "Downton 3" happens, do either of you
06:03 have ideas for where you would like it to go?
06:07 Maldives.
06:08 [LAUGHTER]
06:11 Funny you mentioned that, because Phyllis,
06:13 when we spoke for home video, you and Jim Carter
06:16 pitched the Carsons going to the Maldives.
06:19 Did you?
06:20 Well, he would, of course, because he's
06:22 quite an aficionado of the Maldives, is he not?
06:25 But yes, he probably did, yes.
06:27 So I think it's a no-brainer.
06:31 We all got to move the castle there.
06:35 Absolutely.
06:36 Exactly, brick by brick, it could work.
06:39 And how do I help you get co-writing credit
06:42 for this film?
06:43 Because obviously, Mr. Carson gets
06:44 to go to the south of France, and he
06:46 burned like he said he would.
06:48 So do you want me to talk to Julian about this?
06:52 If you would, that would be great.
06:53 Yes, yes.
06:54 Great.
06:55 I would be much appreciated, yes.
06:58 Oh, well, in relation to the whole idea or plot
07:02 we've been talking about, we love
07:04 the idea of Downton coming to New York
07:08 just before the crash of Wall Street
07:10 to come visit Shirley MacLaine's character.
07:12 Let's go see Cora's family.
07:15 Yeah, I think if we're carrying on our excursion.
07:18 Yeah, now they've realized they can go on a boat,
07:21 and it's not going to sink, that they can possibly
07:25 go to New York.
07:27 Oh, all the boats have sank before that point,
07:29 so you're good.
07:30 And absolutely every single one at some point.
07:32 Or been sunk.
07:33 Yeah.
07:35 They better be warned.
07:36 The British are coming.
07:39 [music playing]
07:42 (dramatic music)
07:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]