period dramas

The Downton Abbey Movie Will Be Devoid of a Major Crawley-Adjacent Character

Photo: Nick Briggs/Carnival Film & Television

Every rose has its thorn, and every aristocratic British family in the 20th century has its Rose, but sometimes the Rose withers away in New York City never to return to Yorkshire again. So is the case for the upcoming (yay!) Downton Abbey film, as Lily James, who portrayed the vivacious Lady Rose for a few seasons in the period drama, confirmed she won’t be appearing in any big-screen capacity. As she “sadly” puts it, it just didn’t make narrative sense for Lady Rose to reappear after her well-documented departure to America with her new hubby. “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,” James told People in a new interview. “There was no space for Rose.” But she’ll still be championing her Crawley pals from afar. “I’m so excited for it — I’m going to be front row.” Hopefully with Dan Stevens next to her.

The Downton Abbey Movie Won’t Feature One Key Character