Downton Abbey Grand Finale Premieres in New York

Downton Abbey The Grand Finale, the long-anticipated final film in the Downton Abbey franchise, premiered in New York City on September 8 and opens in cinemas in coming days, with release dates reported as September 11 and September 12 in different markets. The film reunites creator and writer Julian Fellowes with director Simon Curtis and a wide ensemble cast as the Crawley family and their servants confront social scandal and financial peril in 1930 Britain.

Set against the fallout from the 1929 Wall Street crash and the social shifts of the early 1930s, the story centers on Lady Mary Crawley, played by Michelle Dockery, whose divorce becomes a public scandal and a source of stigma. The family also faces mounting financial troubles after the revelation that Uncle Harold, played by Paul Giamatti, has squandered his mother’s fortune. The household must weigh tradition against change as a younger generation prepares to assume responsibility for Downton. The film runs about two hours and four minutes and is rated PG for suggestive material, smoking and some thematic elements.

The cast includes many familiar faces from the television series and earlier films, among them Hugh...