Could ‘Downton Abbey’ make it to the big screen after series ends?

The bell may be tolling for “Downton Abbey” after the sixth season of the PBS and Carnival Films drama series, but that doesn’t necessarily mean fans have seen the last of the aristocratic Crawley family and their humble servants.

After Thursday’s announcement of the show’s impending end, Executive Producer Gareth Neame spoke to reporters on a conference call and addressed the possibility of a “Downton” movie down the line.

“I can confirm that there have been rumors,” Neame said. “Our position is we would be very interested in that. It would be great fun to do and would be a wonderful extension of everything that people love. I can’t confirm that it’s definitely going to happen. We shall see.”

Series creator and writer Julian Fellowes has already found success exploring upstairs-downstairs drama in 20th century England on the big screen, winning an Oscar for original screenplay with 2001’s “Gosford Park.”

But not so fast -- Fellowes was a bit more evasive about the prospect of a “Downton” movie during a recent phone interview with the Los Angeles Times.

“I don’t really have anything to say, because quite honestly I don’t know any more than you do,” Fellowes said. “I have heard the rumors.”

If “Downton Abbey” does manage to find its way to the multiplex, it would follow in the footsteps of such series as “The X-Files,” “Sex and the City,” “Veronica Mars” and “Entourage.”

In the meantime, some “Downton” players have been scoring high-profile film roles, particularly in the Disney realm: Lily James is currently starring in “Cinderella,” and Dan Stevens was recently cast as the Beast/Prince in “Beauty and the Beast.”

Times staff writer Meredith Blake contributed to this report.

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