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PEOPLE & ARTSTuesday 8 March 2016

Will ‘Downton Abbey: The Movie’ be next?

LYNN ELBER many years of our lives over This image released by PBS shows Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary in a scene from the final season
AP Television Writer to the show would be keen of “Downton Abbey.” The series finale airs in the U.S. on Sunday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — to do it if we could make it
“Downton Abbey,” the TV work,” Neame said. Associated Press
series, is over, leaving us Fellowes, who wrote ev-
with a hollow ache that ery episode of the hit PBS you have the children as Michelle Dockery (Lady said. “That’s too far re-
nothing can relieve. drama in its six seasons, adults, the fans are going Mary) is going to have to moved from what people
Nothing but “Downton would have to carve time to watch new actors and wear a gray wig,” Neame love. So we have to give
Abbey,” the film, which out of his schedule. He’s them the same characters
remains under serious con- busy now with “The Gilded This book cover image released by G.P. Putnam’s Sons shows but in a new scenario, a
sideration by series creator Age,” NBC’s series about “Off the Grid,” by C.J. Box. fresh kind of story.”
Julian Fellowes and ex- well-heeled 19th-century Kevin Doyle, who played
ecutive producer Gareth Americans that’s expected Associated Press butler-turned-teacher Mr.
Neame. to debut in 2017. Molesley, said he’s dis-
“Julian and I would like to Neame, as managing di- cussed the possibility of a
make the movie. We’re rector of NBC Universal- film with other cast mem-
having detailed thinking owned British production bers and found “a sort of
about it all,” Neame said. company Carnival Films, general acceptance that
“But there’s a lot to be has responsibilities includ- it might well get made.”
worked out. Turning a TV ing the TV series “The Last But, he added, “I’m not
show into a movie is not Kingdom.” convinced it’s necessary.
straightforward, it doesn’t Then there’s the challenge I think the story has kind
happen very often and it’s of how to revisit the “Down- of been told. I’m not sure
not uncomplicated.” ton” saga. For starters, what more we could tell
Reassembling the large Neame said, there would or should tell about those
ensemble cast, many of be no drastic fast-forward characters.” A movie
whom have moved on to in the lives of the aristo- based on a character-
other projects, is one chal- cratic Crawley family and driven TV drama, period or
lenge. those who serve them. The not, is a true rarity. Shows
“That can sometimes take series ended Sunday with that have jumped to the
a while. But in principle, the arrival of 1926. big screen, with mixed suc-
those of us who have given “If you jump 20 years and cess, are either comedies
(“Entourage,” ‘’Sex and
C.J. Box writes the City”), police or action
dramas (“The Untouch-
another stellar entry ables,” the “Mission: Impos-
sible” franchise) or in the
in Joe Pickett series sci-fi genre (“The X-Files,”
‘’Star Trek”). If a “Downton
JEFF AYERS Abbey” film does come to
Associated Press pass, Neame said, it would
After the events of the previous novel “Endangered,” probably happen in the
Nate Romanowksi has been living off the grid. He uses his next couple of years.
survival skills to stay off the radar to protect both himself So what to do while we
and the people he cares about. wait and hope? Watch
One morning, men from a top-secret government agen- every “Downton” episode
cy arrive to recruit him for a mission. If he’s successful, his again, of course. And
record will be expunged and he can go back to his nor- again.q
mal life. The assignment involves chasing down a journal-
ist who is believed to be planning a terrorist attack.
Joe Pickett’s daughter Sheridan, a college student, de-
cides to go with her roommate to a nighttime rally out in
the middle of the wilderness. Joe is investigating another
case, but when it leads to the Red Desert of Wyoming, it
will clash directly with both Sheridan and Romanowski.
Pickett and Romanowski each have a dream in which
they are alone and about to die, but they know the other
one is there to assist and save the day. They are brothers
in spirit, and it’s compelling to follow their two separate
stories up to the inevitable crash when they have to rely
on each other to survive.
Picking up a new C.J. Box thriller is like spending quality
time with family you love and have missed. The author
knows how to create an exciting reading experience for
both loyal fans as well as newcomers who have never
heard of Pickett or Romanowski, and he does it once
again in “Off the Grid.”
It’s a rare thriller series that has characters grow and
change without becoming stale.q