Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is now available to watch at home. The conclusion of the Downton Abbey franchise, which includes the prestige period drama TV series and three follow-up movies, depicts the fallout of Lady Mary’s (Michelle Dockery) divorce as she prepares to take control of Downton Abbey, with the rest of the family moving on.
Additionally, Universal Pictures has provided ScreenRant with an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, showing the cast filming some of the final scenes at Highclere Castle, with comments from Dockery, co-stars Elizabeth McGovern and Allen Leach, and director Simon Curtis.
The Grand Finale was released in theaters on September 12, making this an especially swift home release. The movie features most of the longtime Downton Abbey cast and maintains a strong Rotten Tomatoes score of 92%. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale‘s ending emotionally sees Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora Crawley (McGovern) moving out of the house as Mary ᴀssumes full ownership.
What This Means For Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
While Downton Abbey has now seen three movie events, and the window between theatrical and VOD releases has grown smaller overall in recent years, bringing The Grand Finale to small screens as soon as possible makes sense when, for a long time, that’s what the series was. The movie remains in theaters but has grossed $77 million worldwide, a relatively low number for a high-profile project.
On the other hand, some of the cast and crew have been with the series for 15 years now, and the ways that the characters have evolved in that time are significant. “Everybody’s saying their goodbyes and sort of looking ahead to a new era,” says Dockery in the video, of the characters. But now that the story is over, the roster of talented actors is also going on to shape film and television in new ways.
Our Take On Downton Abbey: The Grande Finale’s Digital Release
Downton Abbey, for a long time, has been heavily concerned with the transition from one era to the next, making its actual conclusion more poignant in a metatextual sense. In some ways, this finale feels very understated, as the Crawleys characteristically head into the future with dignity. The movie says what it needs to, and after a short theatrical release, it is available at home.
As Rachel Labonte says in her review for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, it is a simple and emotional “love letter to longtime fans,” as well as the characters, with cameos by stars who departed the show long ago. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is now available to rent or purchase on platforms such as Amazon and Apple TV, to be enjoyed by the people it was made for.
