Downton Abbey bosses sign Oscar nominee in mega-money deal for third movie
Filming is due to start filming this summer and premiere next year
CREATORS of the new Downton Abbey movie are pulling out all the stops and pumping in some serious cash to make the latest film a huge success.
I can reveal bosses have signed up Hollywood star Paul Giamatti for the cast of the upcoming project, which is due to start filming this summer and premiere next year.
He was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar earlier this year for The Holdovers, but missed out to and Oppenheimer.
Paul has also appeared in the movies Saving Private Ryan and Planet Of The Apes.
A TV insider said: “Downton fans will recognise Paul from the last time he starred in Downton Abbey in the 2013 TV series, playing Harold Levinson, the brother of the Countess of Grantham. But getting him back is still something of a coup for the creative team because since then his career has seen him become even more in demand.
“That’s only going to increase since he was nominated for his Best Actor Oscar. But he has now committed to being a part of the new Downton film.”
I revealed earlier this month that most of the cast and creative team would be returning to Highclere Castle in Hampshire to start work on the third big-screen outing, which is being made by Carnival Films.
The first two Downton movies, based on the hit ITV series which ran from 2010 to 2015, raked in £220million at the global box office.
The first film, in 2019, starred Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern as the Earl and Countess of Grantham. Along with Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess, they both returned in the 2022 sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era.
That film saw the action divided between the stately home and the South of France.
Carnival Films were contacted about the upcoming movie but declined to comment.
COMMON LAW FOR RY & ROB
APART from TV fame, Rylan Clark says he has got something else in common with Alan Carr and Robert Rinder.
But it’s not something to be envious about.
The presenter said on the Where There’s a Will There’s A Wake podcast:
“Me and Rob have just both been through a divorce.
“We had the same divorce lawyer as well. We didn’t know, she’s earned a f***ing fortune. Alan as well – she’s done all the gays.”
After dealing with one of life’s greatest trials, Rylan has even turned his thoughts to what will happen to him after he dies.
He said: “Imagine the glass coffin. “I want the coffin to be stood upright and then be cryogenically frozen with LED lights, soft light- blue-ish, in my outfit, stood there looking stunning.
“And who knows? A couple of years down the line they might be like, f*** it, bring him out.”
SOPHIE A BIG HIT AT WEDDING
TOM Allen is turning wedding planner to mark a marriage milestone.
The comedian and Cooking With The Stars host will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the UK’s first gay wedding – by organising Brighton-couple Adam Johnson and Dan Mackey’s special day.
BBC One’s Big Gay Wedding with Tom Allen airs on March 27 at 9pm.
He will be joined by a number of his celebrity friends, from Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse to pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who performs her hit Murder On The Dancefloor at the nuptials.
Former Bake Off and Strictly contestant John Whaite will make the cake, while QI’s Sandi Toksvig dives into the history of LGBTQ+ rights.
Tom meets political figures including former PM David Cameron, who was in power when the first same-sex marriages took place.
ANDI HAS FEAST OF PARTIES
ANDI OLIVER’s new BBC food series could all be a big ruse to throw a party every week.
The chef and Great British Menu host travels up and down the UK for Fabulous Feasts, starting on BBC Two on March 27.
It will celebrate towns and communities by hosting a gathering in each spot, and cooking up regional recipes.
While it may sound exhausting, that’s exactly how Andi likes to live her life.
She said: “I have always had parties, even when I didn’t have any money. With ten pounds you can buy chicken wings, rice and salad, get the tunes, get the lighting and you have a party.
“Bringing people together matters because that’s how I got through life.”