Downton Abbey movie script 'being worked on', Mr Carson reveals

Jim Carter played the butler in the long-running ITV period drama

The cast of Julian Fellowes' small screen hit Downton Abbey (ITV)

A Downton Abbey movie is looking almost certain after Jim Carter revealed that the period drama’s writers are currently working on a script.

The actor, who played butler Mr Carson in the hugely popular ITV show, appeared on Lorraine on Thursday morning to discuss the futures of the Downton cast.

Speculation that a big-screen reunion is on the cards has been rife ever since creator Julian Fellowes called time on the Sunday night favourite, but Carter has now dropped the strongest hint yet that it could soon become a reality.

“I think we’d all love it,” he said. “I think the script is being worked on. If it happens, that’d be great. Everybody wants a film and I’m sure we’d all be happy to do it.”

Carter’s co-star Allen Leech, who played Tom Branson, has also suggested that Fellowes is preparing a film. “The last I heard there were possible negotiations with Julian,” he said on Sunday.

Executive producer Gareth Neame has previously expressed interest in making a feature-length episode of Downton, confirming that there had been “conversations” in an interview with Deadline earlier this year.

Nearly seven million people tuned in to watch the season finale on Christmas Day last year while another 25.5 million watched season five in the US.