Fackham Hall's first trailer promises a high-strung parody of Downton Abbey

The recently released first trailer for Fackham Hall promises a hilarious and satirical comedy that wildly tears down the grandeur of British period dramas, most notably the plot and tone of Downton Abbey.

The upcoming period comedy parody film directed by Jim O’Hanlon is set for release on December 5, 2025, in the United States, and brings together an ensemble cast featuring Damian Lewis, Ben Radcliffe, Thomasin McKenzie, Katherine Waterston and Tom Felton.

The plot is set at a huge, beautiful English mansion called Fackham Hall and begins when a charming thief named Eric Noone manages to get a job there. The trailer showcases everything from a forbidden romance between the pickpocket and the lady-of-the-house to a murder, all while maintaining a humorous approach, mocking the integrity of its source material.

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Fackham Hall trailer teases a wildly hilarious parody of Downton Abbey and the British High Society

Released on October 28, 2025, the film's trailer introduces the lavish Fackham Hall and the aristocratic Davenport family in 1931, focusing on an impending and disastrous wedding to a cousin. This stately home setting is immediately disrupted by the arrival of a new "hall boy" who is secretly a pickpocket.

Being a parody film, the trailer showcases the contrasting high-society manners and modesty with humorous dialogues and chaotic events. However, this takes a twisted turn from romance to murder-mystery when Lord Davenport is killed and the newly arrived orphan boy becomes the main suspect.

The most significant part of this trailer is its commitment to the idea that everyone on-screen treats everything with utter seriousness, even when the events are preposterous. The director Jim O’Hanlon says the crazier it gets, the more seriously the characters react. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he stated:

"The crazier the events of the film get, the more seriously the actors react to them, and the funnier the whole thing is. So it's a huge tribute to our cast — and especially to Thomasin McKenzie and Ben Radcliffe — that despite the madness and the mayhem happening all around them, you still find yourself rooting for Rose and Eric, and wanting them to succeed, and to get together."

The director also teased a particular scene that features strong humour and involves a cameo by the famous author, J.R.R. Tolkien. He has advised viewers to pay attention to this sequence, which surprisingly connects to how one of Tolkien's most famous characters gets his name. On making the film, he stated:

"We had so much fun making this film. I don't think I've ever laughed as much during a shoot, and I really hope audiences across the board will have just as much fun watching the movie as we had making it"

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Fackham Hall will hit the theatres on December 5, 2025. Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha