How Focus Features “Downton Abbey: A New Era” ushers in the first Specialty Label franchise – CinemaCon

Exclusive: Whenever downton abbey First appearing on stage in 2010, the series, created by Julian Fallows, quickly drew viewers and became the title of his unique take on traditional British drama. It wasn’t your grandmother’s upstairs / downstairs vision for the upper class, but her perception of the aristocracy gave modern audiences characters and storylines that could connect with strong women, quoted dialogue, and hearts.

Now, 12 years later, Focus Features arrives. Downton Abbey: a new eraA sequel to the 2019 blockbuster, which grossed $ 238 million worldwide and became the studio’s highest-grossing title in the country. But A new era This isn’t just a sequel, it also constitutes Focus’s first bona fide franchise, a rare beast in the niche field. It is also a sign of how the company, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, is thinking about its future.

Directed by Simon Curtis and starring the original cast, A new era Launched on the high seas this week, including the UK on Friday, and landing in North America on May 20, it will take the public on a journey to the south of France and also save the folks at the Grantham estate a lot of intrigue.

Deadline recently spoke with Focus President Peter Kujawski, Vice President Jason Cassidy and Town center Producer Garrett Nimes is the CEO of Carnival Films, owned by NBCUniversal International, and has been there since its inception. The trio talked about the latest film, how to attract new audiences and where it all goes from here. (The conversation below is compressed and edited for clarity.)

DEADLINE: tell me how A new era It constitutes the first Focus franchise rather than just a sequel.

Peter Kujavski: We discovered the power of the relationship that the viewer has with this world and these characters, and this vision in the changing landscapes of that time. Town center Speaking of building the same thing, but in different ways and for a different audience, get similarly involved with the biggest and widest franchise around.

You had a show, now you have movies, a travel show that was a huge global hit wherever it wasn’t, and podcasts and digital series. There will be originals. Town center Content related to the release of this film, the stories and the world in which people spend their time.

(Original video series) Inside the Downton kitchen Y Fireplace chat with Julian Fellowes And something like that is really a kind of bed in this space, as you can see bigger studios with classic IP superheroes and action movies.

I think we were lucky beneficiaries of what was built before and we had the opportunity to make a (first) film and then merge. Town center Family and is really based on the idea that the franchise is more than just a sequel. it is wider

Garret Nimes: I think we’re just entering the realm of saying, “OK, this was a hit TV show, this was a hit movie, hopefully a blockbuster sequel,” and I think we’re in a space where, just, concentrate, estate, and we are talking about it, as an important part of IP in the larger group and what can it do, what should these companies do when they receive these amazing crown jewels?

I feel like five years ago I would have been happy with six successful seasons and a movie that proves it works on the big screen. Obviously, the more things happen, the more you think, “No, I don’t want this to end, there is still work to be done.”

DEADLINE: Are you planning to make a third film?

Kujavsky: Our goal right now is to connect with the viewers of this film. But of course it would also be nonsense if we didn’t think about what Town center You can continue to be in front of the public and what the future holds. Right now it’s really about this movie and a lot of the stuff we’re talking about is on the edge in this movie. Town center Related.

First name: I want to make another movie and I’m very optimistic about this movie, especially for the fans. This is a very special treat. It focuses more on the main characters than in the first film. This is a family story and is certainly very easy to build if you are a fan.

Kujavsky: This is your favorite family who not only have an adventure at home, but also the discovery of a secret that will take them to the south of France. It seems to be an event and the filmmakers are going above and beyond at this point.

DEADLINE: Is there a place to engage a new and young audience that may not have been part of that zeitgeist moment when the series first aired?

Jason Cassidy: When we started this journey, it was definitely a high-end audience. Because we had the success of the film – it grossed $ 100 million at home, not only was it screened in front of an older audience – we were surprised and delighted that the 25- and 40-year-olds invented it. A very important part of the audience.

So we thought about the young audience that really grew up and digital content helped create the franchise. You’re given a real chance to increase because you won’t get a response at the box office and then in the markets only from a wider audience. The age really dropped even though we were caught. I thought of the world of the beholder It was gold plated Y BridgetonThe things, the shows and the films found in this space, to put it simply, attract new eyes and young eyes. You might say, ‘Oh, you like it Bridgeton? Boom, you’ll love it. “

Kujavsky: It was a bit original and I think it’s a real credit to Julian and Garrett’s special genius and how soon, before shooting the series, they saw what that genre could be.

It hit really fast and I think it happened because they got used to the idea that underneath the world they were talking about in terms of classical British heritage, there were actually a lot of modern elements. They knew this and the whole series and movies have always been triggered by fundamental things that everyone hears everywhere. Like the new emotion, the era is always changing for you and how you react to it and what is history and tradition, what progress means. See Thomas Burroughs travel through the franchise, never giving up on genre attributes. These characters are people you feel and connect with in a thoroughly modern and contemporary sense, as long as you exist in this world of aspirations for wealth, beauty and travel and all that the series promises, and it’s not a matter of generations. .

DEADLINE: You get these movies for the price, but there’s a great filming location and a great cast; How did it develop?

Kujavsky: Of course, with the first film we wanted to make sure we build production so that it could promise to restore the excitement that existed in the series, but we called it a theatrical imperative. So we were also a bit tactical and cautious about it. I think that from the very beginning and before the release of the film due to the great and immediate success, of course, this film for us did not hesitate to strengthen it.

DEADLINE: Or spend more money?

Kujavsky: Of course, and that was the fulfillment of what this film promised from the first conversations with Garrett and Julian: the idea of ​​going to the south of France and all. We wanted to make sure it was a great adventure in a grand, spacious and beautiful way.

DEADLINE: Garrett, I remember that before making your first movie, one of your concerns was showing pity for the cats of such a great actor …

First name: This was the first concern because as difficult as it was to get to the big screen, I thought it would make perfect sense for the actors to have the same reservations. At each stage, Town center It exceeded expectations, so was it the one who failed? They were careful and then this movie worked so it was a lot easier to get into the second movie because there was no need to worry about going again.

DEADLINE: Overall, when it comes to Focus, you guys have released 23 films exclusively in theaters since 2020, and the past two years have been the busiest in terms of producing the company (led by Kiska Higgs, President of Production and Acquisitions) and also maintaining the best position among the specialized labels. Four of the last five. What’s the future like? Will you create more franchises?

Kujavsky: We are in a terribly exciting phase as a company. We continue to be a theater company that actually massively upgraded our production pipeline during a pandemic instead of doing the opposite, and we have support from around the world to continue to do so and address it. It indicates how we begin to think about what the future of our board and our world will be like, using the whole apparatus to create franchises that are not alone, let’s go back to the library and let’s do it. movie. It may contain a few, but it includes wider access.

Ჩ you did it Ana With Joe Wright that day and it was made into a TV series on Amazon. This kind of thing can now flow more naturally and organically with a holistic plan like we can do for Slate, our films, our directors. It’s about over-presenting the storytelling skills of the people we’ve been incredibly lucky to work with, and I think everyone’s mindset is changing to make sure it’s not just an individual film. Whenever you start a movie, you can create a world around it, you can create additional elements that expand the story, expand the world, expand your relationship with these characters, and then maybe another movie will come out and do the same thing more. broadly. . This, of course, is an active part of our thinking.