‘Downton Abbey’ season 6: Lily James lands role in new BBC project

Let’s start with an obligatory warning: There are spoilers ahead for “Downton Abbey” season 5.

Is Lily James gone from the ITV series for good? The show did not necessarily write Lady Rose out during the recent Christmas Special, and with that in mind, there are still plenty of ways we could see her back, even with a crazy schedule that includes promoting her upcoming “Cinderella” feature film. With that being said, it is probably best to wait for network confirmation before speculating further on her involvement in season 6. This is a little different than the situation with Allen Leech, whose Tom Branson was seemingly written out due to a move.

It was announced today that James will be even busier moving forward, due to the Weinstein Company and the BBC teaming up on an adaptation of Tolstoy’s famed War and Peace. She will star in the project alongside Paul Dano (“12 Years a Slave,” “Little Miss Sunshine”) and James Norton.

In a statement, Weinstein had the following to say about the castings:

“I fell in love with Tolstoy’s War and Peace as a teenager when I read it for the first time. Putting an epic, iconic story like War and Peace on screen with a cast of this caliber is an incredible thrill. Lily, Paul and James are all amazingly talented actors, and it takes their level of talent to capture the scale of Tolstoy’s words.”

The BBC is preparing to have a rather robust programming slate in 2015. returning series like “Call the Midwife” and “The Musketeers” add some flair to the early part of the schedule, while later in the year “Doctor Who” will return alongside a reality hit in “Strictly Come Dancing.” Finally, there will most likely be at least one “Sherlock” special on the air by year’s end.

For now, share what you think about this news with a comment, and head over here to get some other TV news sent to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ITV.)