Downton Abbey star Laura Carmichael has said that talks are still under way for a big-screen version of the hit period drama.
The show’s executive producer, Gareth Neame, hinted earlier this year at the prospect of a feature film about the Crawley family and their servants, to follow the sixth and final series.
Now Laura, who plays Downton’s Lady Edith, has told ITV show Lorraine that talks are ongoing, but that she’s not yet seen any sign of a film script from creator Julian Fellowes.
Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith in Downton Abbey (Carnival Films)
“They’re talking about it. It’s mad,” she said of the possibility of Downton being adapted for the big screen. “But we’re still in the midst of filming the last series… We’ll see if Julian writes it.”
Laura is preparing to wave goodbye to the TV series after five years of success around the globe.
Laura Carmichael on the red carpet (David Crotty/AP)
She said she’d miss her co-stars, who she called 'the gang' and “like family', as well as 'the clothes and dressing up' for her role.
Despite becoming such a big hit for ITV, Laura said that she could still live her life anonymously because she looks nothing like her alter-ego Lady Edith, who is seen as the plain sister in the family.
“I look quite different. It’s nice because I get to have a pretty normal time of it,” she said.
Laura was working as a receptionist at a doctor’s surgery when she was invited to audition for the drama, filmed at Highclere Castle.
Laura Carmichael got her break on Downton Abbey (Ian West/PA)
She said that being on the show, which also stars Dame Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville and helped launch the careers of Michelle Dockery, Lily James and Dan Stevens, was like being treated to an acting masterclass.
“Working with all those actors has been like going to school really. That’s the most amazing thing,” she told Lorraine.
Downton’s executive producer said he was 'very interested' in making a Downton movie earlier this year. “It is definitely something that we’re contemplating. It would be great fun to do. I think it would be a wonderful extension of everything people love about the TV show,” he said.
“But I can’t confirm that it’s definitely going to happen. It would take a lot of planning and thinking about. We shall see.”
