Crawleys await royal visit in ‘Downton Abbey’ movie, trailer shows

LONDON (Reuters) – “Downton Abbey” fans got a glimpse on Tuesday of the television period drama’s upcoming movie adaptation, with a new trailer showing the central Crawley family preparing for a royal visit to their sprawling countryside home.

Little has been revealed about the movie, which is set in 1927 and continues the story about a British household in the early 20th century.

“The king and queen are coming to Downton,” a surprised Robert Crawley, played by actor Hugh Bonneville, says in the trailer which shows the family and their household staff, also key characters, preparing for the visit.

Actors Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern and Laura Carmichael are all seen reprising their roles as Crawley family members, and Jim Carter, who played head butler Mr Carson in the series, also returns.

The award-winning show first aired in 2011 and went on for six seasons, gaining a huge following in Britain and the United States. The movie is scheduled for release in September.

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)