Dan Stevens is looking toward the future as he basks in the glow of his blockbuster tentpole, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
The English actor walked the red carpet at the premiere of the hotly anticipated Kaiju epic in Los Angeles on Monday, and he spoke with ET about the possibility of another big project rumored to be in the works — a third Downton Abbey film.
Stevens reflected on the staying power of the period drama — which ran for six seasons and was followed by two feature films, and remains an influential and beloved series by a legion of fans.
“Like with any show where you’re in people’s living rooms on a Sunday evening, you know, people take a special kind of ownership of that,” Stevens said. “They become a part of your family in a way. You sit down, you watch it with your mom, your grandma. So many people I know have seen that show, and it’s really brought families together.”
“We laugh, we cry, but, you know, it’s one of those shows where it means a lot to a lot of people,” Stevens added. “So I’m excited for another movie.”
It’s unconfirmed at this point if there will be a third installment — although Imelda Staunton seeming confirmed it offhandedly during a radio interview earlier this month — and fans of the series know that it is unlikely they would see Stevens reprise his role as Matthew Crawley, following the actor’s decision to depart the series following season three.
However, Stevens will also soon be seen in the forthcoming horror thriller Abigail, in which he stars opposite the late Angus Cloud.
“He was such a sweetheart, man,” Stevens recalled. “I’ve never met anyone like him and, you know, he was like all of our little brother on set.”
Cloud, who is best remembered for his portrayal of Fezco on HBO’s Euphoria, died from an accidental overdose on July 31, 2023. He was 25.
“It was obviously heartbreaking to lose him,” Stevens added. “I really hope that people enjoy his performance. I thought he was absolutely terrific in the movie and it was a joy getting to work with him.”
Abigail, which hits theaters April 19, follows a group of amateur criminals who kidnap the titular Abigail, the young daughter of a wealthy underworld businessman — but soon discover just how dangerous Abigail truly is all on her own.
As for his experience in the long-awaited Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Stevens explained how excited he was to get the call from director Adam Wingard — whom Stevens worked with previously in the 2014 action thriller The Guest.
“It’s an incredible call to get at the best of times, but to get it from an old friend, Adam Wingard, who directed the last installment of these, to join Rebecca Hall, who is one of my oldest buddies, Brian Tyree Henry, who I adore — and they wrote me an incredible character,” Stevens said. “So, you know, it was just a ton of fun.”
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire smashes into theaters March 29.
RELATED CONTENT:
