Downton Abbey 2 star opens up about A New Era's devastating ending

Downton Abbey 2 ending spoilers follow.

While Downton Abbey fans in the UK have been able to get over A New Era's devastating ending, fans in the US have just been discovering how the sequel plays out.

The new movie sees the Crawleys head to France to figure out why the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) has inherited a French villa, with the sequel delving into her backstory to reveal more about her.

However, as the first movie revealed, the Dowager is dying and takes a turn for the worse near the end of the sequel. She receives visits from her family and Downton's various servants to say her goodbyes, before sadly passing away.

A New Era ends with the entire household gathering together for the funeral which was a special experience to film, according to Michael C Fox (who has played Andy Parker since series five).

"It just feels really monumental and very special to be a part of it. And if this is the last one, it's kind of a lovely way to finish it," he told RadioTimes.com.

"I feel like I can think about so many different points, not just in this, in the previous film, where you just don't really feel like you have to think about the scene and about the acting, you just have to be receptive to what is actually happening in that moment.

"And that is one of those where I think it's extraordinary in the film, and I can't wait to watch it again."

We still don't know if there will be a Downton Abbey 3 and creator Julian Fellowes is fine with whatever the future holds.

"The truth is if they want more and the cast want to do more, then I'm sure we'll find a way of delivering more," he said. "But I don't mind if it's run its course, I think that's fair enough, too."

Downton Abbey: A New Era is out now in cinemas.

Universal Pictures Downton Abbey: A New Era [DVD] [2022]

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Universal Pictures/ITV/Carnival Films/WGBH-TV Downton Abbey - Series 1- 6 [DVD] [2015]

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St. Martin's Griffin Downton Abbey - A Celebration: The Official Companion to All Six Seasons (World of Downton Abbey)

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Ian Sandwell

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.