Cinderella star Lily James 'definitely' hopes to return for Downton Abbey series 6

Cinderella is sitting happily ever after at the top of the US box office

Lily James as Ella in Disney's live action remake of Cinderella (Disney)

Lily James may be topping the box office as a fairytale princess but the Cinderella star has no intention of forgetting her Downton Abbey roots.

The English actress is currently promoting Kenneth Branagh’s live action remake around the world but still hopes to make an appearance in the upcoming sixth series of the hit period drama.

James feels like a return to the ITV show is “definitely going to happen”, despite her character Lady Rose moving to America with new husband Atticus Aldridge at the end of series five.

“I’m really hoping to come back,” she told TV website Zap2it, adding that it “depends on what [creator Julian Fellows] writes and all sorts of things”.

One of those [things] may be James’ commitment to Cinderella, in which she stars as the lead alongside Richard Madden’s Prince Charming. The movie debuted in the US to take £47 million this weekend but does not reach UK cinemas until 27 March.

Budding Hollywood career aside, the 25-year-old has been thinking about what she’d like to see happen to Lady Rose. “Party of me wants her to, like, lose her s**t and come back completely wrecked and a ruined woman and part of me wants to keep her happily ever after,” she said.

James said last year that she was “obsessed with Downton and it would feel tragic to stop”. “I want to know how this family will turn out,” she told The Independent at the fifth series press launch.

“It’s fun playing Rose, she’s a modern character and incredibly enthusiastic about life which is sometimes quite tiring at 7am in the morning. I don’t want to be saying ‘Oh golly’ then!”

James’ co-star Hugh Bonneville recently confirmed that there would be another Christmas special this year.