Why Downton Abbey 2 Made Less Than 2019's Movie (Despite Being Better)

 Downton Abbey: A New Era scored even higher with critics and audiences than the 2019 Downton Abbey movie but why did it earn less at the box office?

Although it's an even better film, Downton Abbey: A New Era has grossed much less at the global box office than the first Downton Abbey movie in 2019, and there are a few reasons for this unfortunate outcome. Written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and directed by Simon Curtis, A New Era reunites the entire Downton Abbey cast (except for Matthew Goode's Henry Talbot) and centers on a mystery from Lady Violet, the Dowager Countess' (Maggie Smith) past. Meanwhile, a British film company produces a movie at Downton Abbey, which is overseen by Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) as the Crawleys' loyal servants get in on the action.

Downton Abbey: A New Era follows up several plot threads in Downton Abbey 2019. Primarily set in 1928, Downton Abbey: A New Era begins with the wedding of Tom Branson (Allen Leech) and Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton), and they now inherit the Brumpton Estate from her mother, Lady Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton). In between the films, assistant cook Daisy (Sophie McShera) and footman Andy Parker (Michael C. Fox) also got married. However, the mystery of why a French Marquis left a villa in the South of France to Lady Violet in his will prompts Robert, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), to lead a contingent of the Crawleys to the Riviera to learn the truth. Back at Downton, Lady Mary finds herself charmed by director Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy) while the servants cope with the difficult star of his film, Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock). Meanwhile, leading man Guy Dexter (Dominic West) charms Downton's butler, Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), and offers him a chance at love and the kind of life he never dreamed he could have at Downton Abbey. And finally, Lady Violet succumbs to the illness she was diagnosed with in Downton Abbey 2019 and passes away.

It's clear from watching A New Era that the Downton Abbey sequel has not missed a beat, even after a few years in between films. Downton Abbey's cast, most of whom have played their characters for a decade, easily slip into their roles and their classic chemistry. The quality and charm of Downton Abbey that turned the series (and film franchise) into a global phenomenon are fully intact thanks to Fellowes' savvy writing and Curtis' smart direction. Yet Downton Abbey: A New Era, which is now streaming on Peacock, only grossed less than half of Downton Abbey 2019 in ticket sales, and this, unfortunately, puts the potential of a third Downton Abbey movie in jeopardy.

Why A New Era Made Much Less At The Box Office Than Downton Abbey 2019

Downton Abbey: A New Era grossed $ 89 million worldwide, less than half of Downton Abbey 2019's $194-million take, which made it one of Focus Features' highest-grossing films. The biggest factor in Downton Abbey: A New Era's disappointing box office returns is obviously the pandemic, which has drastically changed the habits of moviegoers. While movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Top Gun: Maverick have grossed $ 1 billion at the box office, those are also event movies that benefit from a theatrical experience. Spider-Man and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which earned $ 946 million worldwide, also carry the Marvel Studios pedigree, while Top Gun: Maverick is Tom Cruise's sequel 36 years in the making that benefited from wildly positive word-of-mouth.

However, Downton Abbey: A New Era, which skews towards older audiences extremely wary of going to the movies because of COVID-19, isn't necessarily a film that demands it be seen in a movie theater. Further, the first Downton Abbey film, released in the pre-pandemic world of 2019, was touted as a major event after the Downton Abbey TV series ended in 2015 in the UK and 2016 in the United States. A big-screen reunion with the Crawleys and their servants seemed more special in 2019, and the same type of hype and anticipation was harder to come by for Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Finally, audiences have quickly grown accustomed to how rapidly movie distribution has changed because of the pandemic. Rather than waiting 3-4 months or more to watch a movie at home after it's left theaters, most films are now available to stream within roughly 45 days. This is the case with Downton Abbey: A New Era, which is now available to stream on Peacock as of June 24, 2022, only 34 days after its May 20th theatrical release in the US (which put Downton in direct competition with Top Gun: Maverick). The quick turnaround to streaming on Peacock also curtailed Downton Abbey: A New Era's box office performance.