The 'Downton Abbey' film is officially underway
Filming for Downton Abbey's silver screen debut is officially underway and the period drama has enlisted the help of several new faces.
On Thursday, Focus Features revealed that former Harry Potter star, Imelda Staunton, will be joining the cast alongside Sherlock Holmes' Geraldine James and actress Kate Phillips who is famed for her role of Linda Shelby in Peaky Blinders.
The roster of new stars will join original cast members Dame Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery and Hugh Bonneville as principal photography is set to begin.
But one familiar face will not be returning for the big screen special. Lily James, who played Lady Rose MacClare in the ITV drama, recently confirmed that there was "no space" for her character in the upcoming film.
A post shared by Downton Abbey (@downtonabbey_official) on Jul 13, 2018 at 5:59am PDT
"My character Rose moved off to New York, so it would be farfetched to bring her back," the actress told People. "I would have loved to have come back for a scene, but for a movie it can't be like a Christmas special and it needs to be a focused storyline."
The Downton Abbey film was confirmed by the show's official Instagram account last month, two years after the hit series drew to a close.
The script has been written by the show's creator Julian Fellowes, although plot details are still being kept under wraps.
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