MGM+ Announces Casting and Start of Production on "Belgravia: The Next Chapter"

The hit historical drama produced by Carnival Films (Downton Abbey) introduces a new generation of characters

BEVERLY HILLS, California - March 8, 2023 - Today, premium network MGM+ revealed today new casting for Belgravia: The Next Chapter, a continuation of the hit historical drama named for - and set in - the affluent London district that became synonymous with the upper echelons of London society in the 19th century. Filming commenced earlier this month in the UK, and the eight-part series is set to premiere in winter 2023.

Belgravia: The Next Chapter is a Carnival Films co-production with MGM+ Studios and will be distributed by NBCUniversal Global Distribution. Carnival Films is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Belgravia: The Next Chapter picks up in 1871, three decades after the events depicted in the 2020 limited series, which was written by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age) and based on his novel of the same name. Developed and written by critically acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Helen Edmundson (Dalgliesh, Mary Magdalene), the series tells the love story of Frederick Trenchard, who has grown up as the third Lord Trenchard, and his new love interest, Clara Dunn, who is a newcomer to London society. Unaware that his birth was the product of an affair between his mother Susan and the scoundrel John Bellasis, a troubled childhood has left Frederick deeply insecure, which challenges his courtship of and marriage to Clara.

Led by Gareth Neame, the series reunites Carnival's award-winning creative team behind the original series. Neame and Nigel Marchant will serve as executive producers with Julian Fellowes and Joanna Strevens. Helen Edmundson serves as showrunner and executive producer. The series will be directed by John Alexander, Paul Wilmshurst and Marisol Adler. Colin Wratten (Killing Eve) who produced the original series, will return as producer.

New casting outlined below:

Harriet Slater - "Clara Trenchard (née Dunn)"

SERIES REGULAR

A young, smart, and striking woman, and a fresh face amongst the society of Belgravia, Clara is thrilled by her marriage to the enigmatic Frederick ... but as she comes to learn more of her husband and the trauma he carries, Clara finds her marriage will not be as smooth as she first thought and is something she must fight for.

Bio: Best known as series regular "Sandra Onslow" in the HBO Max DC origin series Pennyworth, Slater recently wrapped filming as the lead in Sony Screen Gems' Horrorscope as well as True Haunting, which has her starring alongside Jamie Campbell Bower and Erin Moriarty. Other screen credits include All Creatures Great and Small and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Slater is represented by The Artists Partnership in the UK and Untitled Entertainment in the U.S.

Ben Wainwright - "Frederick Trenchard"

SERIES REGULAR

The young and handsome third Lord Trenchard, Frederick takes after his grandfather with a ferocious work ethic, having built a large business empire. Immediately smitten with Clara, he marries her after a whirlwind romance, but brings with him traumas from his past that threatens his newfound happiness.

Bio: His recent credits include great roles on Sky Atlantic's Gangs of London, and a guest lead on BBC One's The Split. He also has a multi-episode arc on the BBC One series World on Fire, starring opposite Sean Bean and Lesley Manville. His feature credits include the lead romantic role in The Conductor directed by Maria Peters, and the acclaimed A Quiet Passion opposite Cynthia Nixon. His additional TV Credits include ITV's Endeavour and Unforgotten, Channel 4's Pure, and War and Peace and The Boy with the Topknot for BBC One.

Wainwright is represented by Insight Management & Production.

Edward Bluemel - "Dr. Stephen Ellerby"

SERIES REGULAR

An idealistic, charming, and attractive young doctor, Stephen is brought into the society of Belgravia as he cares for Peter, son of the Duke of Rochester - a far cry from his life amongst the bohemians of Bloomsbury. He is quickly captivated by Clara after meeting her and starts to gain her trust as their lives interweave.

Bio: EDWARD BLUEMEL trained at the prestigious Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. He's currently filming a leading role in a new Amazon Original called My Lady Jane, based on the historical fiction novels it stars Emily Bader as "Lady Jane Grey." Edward is in the role of "Lord Guildford Dudlley," joined by an impressive cast including Jordan Peters, Dominic Cooper, Jim Broadbent, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, and Will Keen. In 2022 he filmed the mini-series Washington Black in Nova Scotia, starring Sterling K Brown "Ernest Kingsley Junior," Tom Ellis, Charles Dance, and Rupert Graves, coming to Hulu in 2023. Bluemel was most recently seen in Ten Percent (Prime Video), the British adaption of the acclaimed French series Call My Agent, starring alongside Jack Davenport and Lydia Leonard. He also appeared alongside Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, and Henry Golding in the Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Other career highlights include the second and fourth season of the multi award-winning Killing Eve (BBC/AMC), A Discovery of Witches (Sky1/BBC America) playing the role of "Marcus Whitmore," the Netflix original series Sex Education, Channel 4's Traitors, a thriller set in the aftermath of the Second World War, and ITV's period drama The Halcyon. His theatre credits include a lead role in Trevor Nunn's critically acclaimed Love in Idleness (West End) and Touch (Soho Theatre), written and directed by Vicky Jones (director of the original stage production of Fleabag and one of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's frequent collaborators).

Bluemel is represented by Epilogue and Hamilton Hodell in the UK, Sugar23 and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern in the U.S.

Toby Regbo - "Rev. James Trenchard"

RECURRING

Frederick's estranged brother, a gentle, kind and religious man, James is haunted by both the separation from his brother and a private battle he is determined to keep hidden.

Bio: Toby is best known for his leading roles in the CW Series Reign and The Last Kingdom. He starred in the latest series of Medici on Netflix and has had roles in films such as Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and One Day. Toby can most recently be seen in Series Three of A Discovery of Witches and Channel 4's Chivalry. He has just finished shooting for a leading role In ITVX's Platform 7, an upcoming psychological thriller, based on Louise Doughty's phenomenal best-selling novel.

Regbo is represented by Independent Talent Group and Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

Hannah Onslow - "Emily Dunn"

RECURRING

Clara's older sister, Emily responds to her sister's swift marriage with a hint of jealousy as she is desperate to make her own match. But when she throws herself into charity work at her new church, she is instantly attracted to the Reverend James Trenchard.

Bio: Hannah's growing resume positions her as one of a few, super exciting, up and coming actors working today. Graduating from RADA in 2019, Hannah circumnavigated covid to work opposite Rory Kinnear in Ridley Road for Red Productions; alongside Ben Wishaw in SISTER/BBC's in This Is Going To Hurt and with Olivia Colman and Colin Firth in director Sam Mendes' Empire of Light. Hannah's other screen credits include the much-loved series Call the Midwife and the fifth instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise, directed by James Mangold, starring Harrison Ford. Hannah recently finished shooting Sally El Hosaini's feature film Unicorn and The Doll Factory for Paramount+.

Onslow is represented by Gordon and French.

Sophie Thompson - "Mrs. Dunn"

RECURRING

Emily and Clara's devoted mother, Mrs Dunn is a nervous, giddy, and chatty widow who has moved to Belgravia with her daughters and is thrilled by Clara's new marriage and the security in social standing it brings.

Bio: A six-time Olivier Award nominee and winner of the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Sophie Thompson has a career that spans film, television and theatre. In the theatre she most recently starred in Present Laughter at The Old Vic. On TV - Everything I Know About Love, Sandylands and a recurring role in BBC's The Detectorists.

Thompson is represented by Independent Talent Group.

Claude Perron - "The Marquise D'Étagnac"

SERIES REGULAR

A glamorous and highly unconventional French businesswoman, the Marquise D'Étagnac is introduced to Belgravia by the Duke and Duchess of Rochester. Offering a wealth of business opportunities, Frederick sees a chance to expand into new areas of industry.

Bio: Claude Perron is a French actress whose career spans across theatre and film. She first studied drama at Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique de Nantes and then moved up to the prestigious Conservatoire de la Rue Blanche in Paris. After graduation, she spent a decade acting in multiple successful plays on stage. She worked with the best directors of her generation to and played classic as well as contemporary plays such as Molière, Pinter, Melquiaux, Siméon, Py, with great theatre directors as Michel Fau, Olivier Py, Paul Desveaux, and others. Her career as a film actress began in 1996 when she landed her first lead role in Albert Dupontel's Bernie. This feature film, which marked the debut of the filmmaker, was a success and her performance was highly saluted. Her collaboration with Dupontel continued with Le Créateur and Enfermés dehors. Then, Claude continued working with the biggest names of the French industry in both dramas and comedies such as Jean Pierre Jeunet's renowned Amélie and his latest Netflix movie, Big Bug. She also acted in TV series, where she led the Canal+ hit WorkinGirls, which was nominated at the international Emmy Awards (in 2013). Most recently, Claude took part in international projects, amongst which the play Tartuffe at the Royal Haymarket of London as well as the highly anticipated Spanish Balenciaga's series biopic produced by Disney+. She will be seen on screen in a big French comedy that will be released in Christmas 2023.

Perron is represented by AS Talents.

Sophie Winkleman - "Duchess of Rochester"

RECURRING

Character Bio: The queen of Belgravia, the Duchess and her husband stand at the top of Belgravia's social hierarchy - but privately, she struggles to reconcile the Duke's feelings towards their unwell, eldest son Peter with her own wishes for his care.

Bio: Sophie Winkleman began acting as a teen with the National Youth Theatre, continuing at Cambridge University where she joined the award-winning Footlights. Sophie's numerous stage credits include "Violet" in Sir Peter Hall's production of Man and Superman, "Archangela" in Peter Hall's Galileo's Daughter, "Charlotte" in Thea Sharrock's Don Juan at the Theatre Royal Bath, "Helena" in Eric Idle's What About Dick and "Veronique" in Laurence Boswell's Beauty and the Beast for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Sophie's TV credits include regular roles in Peep Show and Two and a Half Men; her most recent work includes leading roles in ITV's Sanditon and Strike for the BBC. For film, Sophie's credits include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Suzie Gold and the leading role in Mike Figgis's Love Live Long. Sophie will next be seen on the big screen in Wonka, directed by Paul King.

Winkleman is represented by Hamilton Hodell.

Elaine Cassidy - "Davison"

SERIES REGULAR

Character Bio: Clara's newly appointed lady's maid, Davison grows to protect her mistress with a fierce devotion, recognizing Clara's youth and need for love. Davison has experienced hard times in her own past and is intent on supporting Clara through her struggles.

Bio: Elaine Cassidy is an award-winning Irish actress. She first came to prominence in her leading role in Disco Pigs (2001), for which she won the Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress. This was shortly after playing the titular role of "Felicia" in Felicia's Journey (1999). Elaine stars in the new Sebastián Lelio film The Wonder, which premiered at Telluride Film Festival in September. Elaine's played "Abby Mills" in CBS's Harper's Island, her first leading role on a US network television show, which won her a second Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress. Her other television work includes the BBC mini-series Fingersmith, the BAFTA nominated police procedural No Offence, where she was the lead, BBC's Emmy nominated The Paradise and A Room with A View, adapted by Andrew Davies. Elaine has also appeared on the stage, with roles in Donmar Warehouse Productions Aristocrats and the critically praised revival Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by Josie Rourke. Other prominent stage credits include There Came a Gypsy Riding, Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Crucible.

Cassidy is represented by ARG Talent.

About Carnival Films

Carnival Films is a London-based television and feature film production company, part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. Led by executive chairman and producer Gareth Neame, the company is one of the UK's leading drama producers, having produced hundreds of hours of compelling content viewed around the world. Carnival Films produced all six seasons of the award-winning and beloved TV phenomenon Downton Abbey, which aired in over 250 territories worldwide and set a Guinness World Record for being the most critically well-received show in the world. The company produced the hit feature film of the same name, which earned more than $193 million at the worldwide box office in 2019, making it the highest grossing film of all time for distributor Focus Features. The movie sequel Downton Abbey: A New Era was released in 2022. Other Carnival Films productions include hit series The Last Kingdom for Netflix, which is also being produced as a movie, plus Belgravia for ITV and EPIX, and Jamestown for Sky One. Having received more than 200 international awards and honours including Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, Carnival has also produced landmark series such as Poirot, Hotel Babylon, and Dracula, as well as award-winning mini-series Traffik, Any Human Heart, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies and The Hollow Crown anthology. For more information, please visit www.carnivalfilms.co.uk

About MGM+

MGM+, an Amazon company, is a premium linear channel and streaming service delivering a broad lineup of quality original series and docuseries, the latest movie releases, and classic film franchises - all available in the U.S. on TV, on-demand, online, and across devices. MGM+ is a destination for original premium content, with original series including sci-fi horror series FROM; Emmy-winning series Godfather of Harlem; the Western adventure Billy the Kid; and cinematic dramatic series War of the Worlds, Rogue Heroes, and Belgravia. The network is also the home of acclaimed docuseries, including Emmy-nominated Laurel Canyon, Helter Skelter, Slow Burn, My Life as a Rolling Stone, NFL Icons, and Blumhouse's Compendium of Horror. Premium movies are also available, including Top Gun: Maverick, No Time to Die, House of Gucci, Cyrano, and Licorice Pizza.

MGM+ will continue to be available nationwide through cable, telco, satellite, and emerging digital distribution channels, as well as through its MGM+ app, providing more movies than any other network with thousands of titles available for streaming. For more information about the current MGM+ lineup, go to [www.mgmplus.com ] or follow on [Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube].