Julian Fellowes is planning the prequel that will focus on the troubled relationship of the Earl and Countess of Grantham before they're married.
- Sep 29, 2012
AceShowbiz - Julian Fellowes wants to take "Downton Abbey" fans back to the early relationship of Robert and Cora. The creator of the critically-acclaimed British drama series recently opened up that he's planning a prequel that would see the Earl and Countess of Grantham's first meeting.
"I do actually have an idea of doing a prequel of the courtship of Robert and Cora, when all those American heiresses were arriving in London," he said at the Bafta Screenwriters' Lecture series. "It is a fascinating time when the Buccaneers were coming to England and marrying [aristocrats]."
Still talking about the couple, he further gushed, "Cora was in love with him before they married but as we know he only fell in love with her about a year after they married. He married her purely for the money. I think that is something he came to feel quite guilty about."
Fellowes initially planned the prequel to be a book, but it's very likely that the story will be adapted into a TV show. Should the project move forward, it will feature a pair of younger actors as Robert and Cora, who are portrayed by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern respectively on the original series.
The English writer, however, insisted that any spin-off to "Downton Abbey" should only come out after the show ends. "For me, any other books or plays or films should follow after the end of the television show," he stated. "I don't think you can continue a narrative in more than one area at once."
