Downton Abbey
Warning : This interview hold in freebooter for Downton Abbey : A New geological era
Stepping intoDownton Abbey : A New Eraafter the cast had five seasons and a move together , must have been scare off , but theater director Simon Curtis did it with aplomb . The completed news report - cashier , who antecedently directedMy Week with Marilyn , visualise the challenges of working withDownton Abbey : A New Era ’s darling castas a great opportunity . In his hands , A New Eradoes things - especially with Hugh Bonneville ’s Lord Grantham - thatDownton Abbeyhad never taken on before .
Before he came toDownton Abbey : A New Era- join his wife Elizabeth McGovern , who plays Lady Cora Crawley , of course - Curtis was behindCranford , the puritanical - era show that was a pregnant influence on Downton Abbey . In fact , were it not for Dame Judy Dench playing Matilda " Matty " Jenkyns , it ’s less likely that Maggie Smith would ever have played Lady Violet . That ’s how of import Curtis ' late work was to this population . And withA New Era , he gets to come full band .
Related : Downton Abbey : A raw Era Ending Explained ( In Detail )
forrader ofDownton Abbey : A New Era ’s release on DVD and Blu - ray on July 5,Screen Rantspoke to director Simon Curtis on the show that pave the style forDownton Abbey , the intimidating rulebook , and what he would like to see inDownton Abbey 3 …
Screen Rant : What are the specific challenges you face as somebody do into a story that already has six season and a moving-picture show behind it ?
Simon Curtis : I think make it fresh , but I was greatly help oneself . Because the handwriting was so rich and divers . And the new plot line [ like ] accept the Crawley family to the Confederate States of France , and the celluloid - within - a - film , extend raw muscularity and new vision that helped .
do into the crimp , did you have any ideas specifically for the fiber and what sort of news report you ’d wish to differentiate ?
Simon Curtis : This start out with me reading the script , which I really liked . So , my energy was concentre on making the script as good as possible .
Having spent so long in their role , that histrion have strong idea of who they are as characters ; what they would do would n’t do . Is that a challenge as well ?
Simon Curtis : I would say the opposite . It ’s a luxury , because often as a manager , you ’re trying to marry an actor to a part with no rehearsal at all . And in this display case , these actor had these characters so deeply in their DNA ; they merged character and player into one very ample thing . And that was exciting to work with , actually ,
On top of that , there must also be a rulebook as thick as my arm . Not just the tale matter and the characters , but the historical accuracy .
Simon Curtis : Yes . That ’s something I ’m less concerned in other people , but again , the storylines in this film - the new energy of a cinema gang turn up who do n’t care about whether it ’s the correct ramification or the right wineglass , and going to France , where everything is done differently - were very liberating .
What would you say you ’re most proud of , in terms of putting your stamp on A New Era ?
Simon Curtis : I hope that it ’s as emotional as the story could possibly be , and as laughable as the story could maybe be .
It is funny . My three favorite moments in the film are either establish around humor , so the hat store and when the stuff become the extras , which I ’m sure you ’ve discussed at length . And when Cora breaks the news to Robert about her sickness . It ’s the most personal scene we ’ve seen for Robert in the entire serial publication . I ’m just interested in the perceptivity into how that scene come together .
Simon Curtis : I get laid that commentary on those three scenes , as I ’m very proud of them all . That scene with Robert … To be dependable , we did n’t discuss it much , Hugh and I. When we first rehearsed it , he wanted that burst of emotion to come up out , and I thought he play it bright . I ’ve been thrilled by how people have reacted to that . I suppose partly , it ’s because exactly as you say , you had n’t take care Robert like that in over a decade . It ’s like experience your uncle or your brother that you jazz very well behaving in an unexpected way of life . I reckon Hugh and Elizabeth played that scene brightly .
Yeah , it ’s a real standout . It was like a payoff , because we ’ve been with them for so long .
Simon Curtis : I have in mind , that ’s the thing . citizenry have n’t really compared this motion picture to Boyhood , but I do . Because you ’ve seen those characters over a 12 - year time period , and it ’s unequalled . I do n’t have a go at it , you probably know more about film history than me . But are there any other good example of the same radical of actors play the same characters over 12 years ? Harry Potter ?
Not really . There is n’t as much growth , because Harry Potter is based around one uninterrupted psychic trauma . This is different eras altogether .
Simon Curtis : Yeah , exactly . Going back to your other inquiry : as a film director , it ’s like you hit the jackpot when you ’ve get those storylines and those characters .
I ’m certain you ’ve been asked before , but would you like to follow back and recount more story in this humanity ?
Simon Curtis : Well , I say the same thing . I do n’t know if there is going to be more films . But I ’d obviously be happy to read any script , because I ’m very drive by that .
It ’s more of a fantasy inquiry , but if you could skip over anywhere on the timeline beyond where we already are in Downton at the end of this movie , where would you be most interested in telling a story ?
Simon Curtis : Well , I ’d like to see [ if ] possibly Robert take Cora back to America .
My final question is not about Downton , but about Cranford . I was a major sports fan , and I used to watch it with my mother . I always deplore the fact that we have n’t seen any more from that . Has there ever been a conversation to go back for another ?
Simon Curtis : It ’s laughable , because on this set , there was one day we were take . In fact , the day we were filming on the gravy boat ; the royal racing yacht . My AD , who ’d work on Cranford , showed me her telephone set and Facebook had sent her 10 age ago today . We were doing a scene from Cranford with Jim Carter and Imelda [ Staunton ] , who were also in this . So , that was a felicitous memory .
I think now there would have been more Cranford , in the appetite people have of creating things . But again , it ’s getting that ensemble together and so on . But I ’m glad you referenced that , because I think in some ways , Cranford pave the way for Downton in television history . I ’m very proud of my amour in that .
Downton Abbey: A New EraSynopsis
The much - promise cinematic restitution of Downton Abbey follow the Crawleys and their faculty as they receive a movie crew and their glamorous champion to Downton for the filming of a newfangled silent movie , while other members of the family go on a deluxe escapade to a villa in the south of France to uncover a mystery about the Dowager Countess and her past .
Check out our otherDownton Abbey : A New Erainterviews with starsHugh Bonneville , Laura Carmichael & Allan Leech , Jim Carter & Raquel Cassidy , andElizabeth McGovern .
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Downton Abbey : A New Erais on Digital now and hit Blu - ray and DVD on July 5 .
