Baby Driver star Lily James reveals her musical plans and is game for more Downton Abbery

LILY James has gone from Disney princess to burning rubber in Baby Driver — and she says a musical and more Downton Abbey could be in her future.

AFTER moving in time with the unique beat of surprise movie blockbuster season hit Baby Driver, Lily James — the British actor who rose to stardom in Downton Abbey before becoming Disney’s live-action Cinderella — has hinted to News Corp Australia that her full-blown movie musical debut is imminent.

Asked in Sydney yesterday if she had a musical in her, the 28-year-old replied: “I think perhaps I do. Maybe sooner than I think.”

James is in Sydney with Baby Driver director Edgar Wright and co-star Ansel Elgort for the Australian premiere of the heist flick tonight at Event George St.

Fans can see the stars walk the red carpet from 6pm.

James flew into Melbourne a few days earlier to catch up with her big brother Charlie, who moved to Australia two years ago and works as a sports reporter.

“He’s been giving me his tour of Melbourne. My first day, very typical of my brother, he took me to an AFL game at the MCG — or The G, as he told me I should call it. It was the Melbourne Demons versus Carlton, which I loved.

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Stars of the movie Baby Driver Ansel Elgort (L), Lily James (C) and director Edgar Wright (R) pictured at the Langham Hotel in Sydney. Picture: Toby Zerna

“We walked all the way from Chapel St, through the Botanical Gardens into the city, then down to Southbank … We went right up the top of the massive gold building (Eureka Tower) and he showed me the area where the G and the tennis and the rugby … it was very centred around sport,” she laughed.

“Then we went to Brighton Beach … Such a wonderful city, so much going on.”

Meanwhile Elgort, the 23-year-old American star of the Divergent franchise and The Fault in Our Stars, was only slightly disappointed that he’d arrived in Sydney in winter.

“This morning I took a little walk. I wish it wasn’t winter — I’d like to go to the beach. I always imagined Australia being this sunny, warm beach town. But not this time!”

Elgort, who also has a record label contract and has an EP due for release in the next few months, is hoping to bring back the old-school concept of the all-round entertainer — with a little push from his Baby Driver co-star Jamie Foxx.

Lily James, left, and Ansel Elgort in a scene from Baby Driver. Picture: Wilson Webb/Sony/TriStar via AP

“Jamie was very, very encouraging when it came to: ‘Hey man, if you want to do music, you should just do it. The world’s yours. Do everything,’” Elgort said.

“In the olden days, artists were expected to do many things. If you were an entertainer, you were expected to be able to sing and dance and act. If you think about Da Vinci, he was a scientist, too. The meaning of a renaissance man was doing a lot of different art.”

Baby Driver is a rare contemporary role for James, who to date has largely worked on period pieces requiring her to wear restrictive corsets.

She plays Debora, a diner waitress who falls for music-obsessed getaway driver Baby, played by Elgort.

“It’s a shock to the system,” she laughed. “Aside from working with Edgar Wright and the insane cast, one of the real draws was the fact it was so contemporary and so different from all the other work I’ve been doing; it’s a film that is not stuck in history.”

Lily James says she’s game for a Downton Abbey movie — but there are no firm plans.

That said, there is a chance James may end up back in Lady Rose’s bonnet for a rumoured Downton Abbey movie.

“I’m a bit behind with all of this,” James admitted.

“Has there been an announcement? I’m really confused.

“There’s definitely discussions going on and everyone is really keen because we were like a family. Everyone’s on board with the idea of revisiting it, but I don’t know personally if there’s anything more concrete than that.”

After the Sydney premiere, the Baby Driver trio will head for Melbourne where for special screenings at Cinema Nova and Jam Factory tomorrow night.

In her first visit to Sydney, James added she was “floored” by the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

“I just can’t believe that it’s real,” she said. “It’s like a real wonder of the world.”