Downton Abbey 2 has finally been confirmed after advances in CGI technology have made the project feasible.
“We wanted to make 2 immediately,” explained writer Justin Fellowes.
“But the tech just wasn’t available to support the vision we had, and after the first one, we didn’t want to go down that road again.”
The first Downton Abbey film, whilst popular amongst fans of the show, received criticism for the quality of the visual affects with the aliens being singled out for clearly being simply big dogs in rubber suits and the scene in which Lady Mary transforms into a radioactive werewolf provoking laughs in many screenings.
“We rushed it with the first one,” continued Fellowes.
“With 2, we have very ambitious visual effects – moving between dimensions, planets exploding, cats who can talk – so we wanted to be sure that the CGI was available to handle that for a budget that was right for the film.”
There has, as yet, been no confirmation of Downton Abbey 2’s plot, but it is widely expected to take its lead from the first film’s post-credit sequence in which Bates is revealed to be a Martian werewolf from the future who is leading an advance party seeking to infiltrate the human race with a view to launching a full-scale invasion of the planet and enslaving humanity.
“I’m afraid I must remain quite tight-lipped on that matter,” laughed Fellowes.
“But I’ve seen the concept art for the Martian werewolves and if the Visual Effects chaps can pull it off, it will be tremendously impressive.”
It is thought that, regardless of how well Downton Abbey 2 does, a third film will be at least ten years away as there simply isn’t the technology to convincingly render a four-dimensional, hyper-evolved species of creatures who consist of pure thought, and without that, there will be no way to meaningfully advance Lady Merton’s story.
Some links to other bits of the blog that you’ll love*…
*Alright, perhaps ‘love’ is pushing it, maybe ‘be mildly diverted by’
Want to know what’s on telly this weekend? No problem, click on this Weekend Film Guide
Want to impress friends with your superior film knowledge? You’ll be wanting the Fun Facts page.
Or, if links aren’t your thing, here’s an old article you might like…
Advert with naked lady riding a turtle in the rain will definitely make ladies buy perfume
A new advert for Legumes d’Amour perfume will feature a naked lady riding a turtle in the rain which is, apparently, sure to make more people buy the perfume for some reason.
The advert, inevitably filmed in a moody black and white with a few splashes of gold colour to give a hint of decadence, will be shown during the bit at the cinema when everyone realises they’ve got time for a wee before the film starts.
The advert begins with a crash of thunder and the sound of a moody, acoustic version of Say You’ll Be Mine by Steps.
The rain batters what appears to be a post-apocalyptic landscape, and the viewer sees a dramatic close up of droplets bouncing of a turtle’s shell.
As the turtle moves into shot, it becomes clear that it is being ridden by a naked lady. The camera cuts to her face and she mouths ‘Independence,’ laughs throatily and thrusts a bottle of Legumes d’Amour at the screen.
The advert will run for the next few months and must make more people buy perfume or they wouldn’t bother, would they.
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