Joanne Froggatt says the 'Downton Abbey' movie won't be released this year.
Joanne Froggatt
The 36-year-old actress - who was known for portraying maid Anna Bates in the series - has given an update on the progress of the big screen adaptation of the popular period drama and, as of yet, she said there are no plans to get the cast back together to shoot a film for the foreseeable future, but she hopes it will happen at "some point".
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at the Three Empire Awards at The Roundhouse in London on Sunday (19.03.17), she admitted: "I don't think the 'Downton' movie is going to be happening this year, I don't know if it will happen at some point or not, I hope so. The cast have talked about it but ultimately there has to be a project there to do so we're just sort of waiting."
It comes after Phyllis Logan admitted trying to round up the entire cast to shoot the highly-anticipated movie is like trying to "herd cats".
The 61-year-old actress - who played Mrs Hughes - was adamant plans for the film of the show will go ahead, but said bosses are struggling to line up schedules because the cast, which included Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael and Hugh Bonneville, are always tied up with other things.
She previously said: "The will is definitely there with everybody involved. The will is definitely there.
"So, let's fingers crossed that we can make it all come about at some stage. And we'd love all to get back together again and have one last hurrah, we certainly would.
"'There's so many of us. There's so many of us.
"In normal film situations you might have a core cast of half a dozen or whatever. But this is a core cast of thousands it feels like at times. And so... herding cats?"
Rumours that a blockbuster was in the pipeline have been rife since the ITV drama left television screens in 2015 following five successful years.
The show's writer Julian Fellowes said previously: "I hope there is going to be a film. I would like there to be a film. There are many factors as like all the actors in 'Downton Abbey', we made them famous. Now they have all gone off and they are doing films, theatre or TV series so it will be quite difficult rounding them up."
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