By Annabelle Liang
SINGAPORE (AP) --A "Downton Abbey" movie is in the works, with production likely to begin in 2018, an NBCUniversal executive said Wednesday.
Michael Edelstein, president at NBCUniversal International Studios, said it hopes to assemble 20 cast members from the popular TV series.
"There's a movie in the works. It's been in the works for some time," Edelstein said in Singapore at a red-carpet event for "Downton Abbey: The Exhibition," which features costumes, locations and never-before-seen footage from the TV show. The exhibition opened in the city-state last week and ends July 31.
"We are working on getting the script right and then we've got to figure out how to get the (cast) together. Because as you know, people go on and do other things. But we're hopeful to make a movie sometime next year," Edelstein said.
Cast members at the exhibition said they were not aware of the movie. "Oh, well, you've got confirmation before us. We have no idea if that's happening," said Sophie McShera, who played assistant cook Daisy Mason. "But we would all love to be part of the film if it was to happen, for sure."
Laura Carmichael, who played Lady Edith Crawley in the series, quipped: "Well, tell my agent, because we're still waiting to know. We're hoping that will happen soon."
Emmy-winning writer and creator Julian Fellowes also said he hoped a film would be made. "I think we've got a film in us. I hope it happens," he said.
"Downton Abbey," which concluded in 2015, portrays the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family in England and their servants amid the backdrop of such historical events as the sinking of the Titanic and World War I. It has become one of the most popular TV shows in the world, airing in at least 150 countries.
Fans lined the red carpet at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of the stars. Student Jessica Nobleza, 15, held up a sign that read, "You helped us pass history."
"When I got into the show, it was kind of exam period. And season one and two involves World War I, and how it affected the whole era," she explained.
The "Downton Abbey" exhibition is to travel to the U.S. and Australia at a later date.
Avid completes acquisition of Wolftech
Avid®, known for software solutions for professional media production, has completed the acquisition of Wolftech Broadcast Solutions, a leader in cloud-based multiplatform news planning, production and publishing solutions.
The acquisition enables Avid to combine its digital-first, end-to-end media solution with Wolftech’s expertise in story-centric workflow management. News organizations will be able to increase efficiency and accelerate story delivery through enhanced remote collaboration and multiplatform amplification.
Avid CEO Wellford Dillard stated, “Wolftech is unquestionably on the leading edge of where the industry is going, and this acquisition demonstrates Avid’s commitment to transform news, sports, and live production workflows. We are delighted to welcome Wolftech into the Avid family.”
Wolftech CEO Arne Berven added, “We were focused on finding a partner that could accelerate the adoption of our platform globally. We explored a number of possibilities, but when we talked to Avid, we knew it was the right match.”
The closing of the acquisition follows Avid’s announcement on October 7 that the company had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wolftech.
With this acquisition, Avid deepens the integration between the two toolsets while continuing to embrace an open approach in partnering with a wide range of media production tools and newsroom systems. Existing Wolftech customers will benefit from Avid’s global scale for customer support and professional services.
Ian Axton, head of production operations for ITV News, said, “As a customer of both Avid and Wolftech we’re excited about the benefits this acquisition will bring to our users and our business. Wolftech has transformed... Read More