James R | On 13, Nov 2014

Netflix has confirmed that The Crown is coming to Netflix in 2016, with Claire Foy rumoured to be playing the role of The Queen.

The epic is the first UK-produced show on the streaming service and they’ve picked the most British subject imaginable: nothing less than the decade-spanning story of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Ministers who have worked together shaped Britain’s post-war destiny.

The Crown is inspired by the award-winning West End play The Audience, with writer Peter Morgan returning to pen the production, directed by Stephan Daldry.

“The Crown is storytelling that lives somewhere between television and cinema from Britain’s foremost chroniclers of modern politics, class and society,” says Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. “We are enormously proud to be the exclusive home of a series from Peter Morgan and Stephen Daldry that promises to fascinate and entertain audiences around the world.”

Netflix says The Crown will tell the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world — Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street – and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.

Two houses, two courts, one Crown. And goodness knows how many seasons.

Each one will explore the political rivalries and personal intrigues across a different decade of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, following The Queen and The Audience’s exploration of the balance between her public and private life.

So, Season one begins with a 25-year-old Princess faced with the daunting prospect of leading the most famous monarchy in the world, while forging a relationship with the domineering, war-hardened Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Left Bank Pictures Chief Executive, Andy Harries, adds: “Queen Elizabeth II has reigned throughout a period of unprecedented cultural and political change and her influence as monarch has been universal. Peter is a writer at the height of his powers and Stephen Daldry is one of the most entertaining and original film directors in the world. The series will be hugely ambitious and surprising, and perfectly captures the changes and complexities of a post war world.”

Speculation has been rife surrounding the series, which was first reported earlier this year. With an estimated budget of around £100 million, it’s no surprise that the programme has caught the media’s eye. Indeed, Netflix fought off competition from both the BBC and ITV to nad the drama, produced by Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television, for its subscription service.

While Netflix has not yet confirmed the casting, Deadline is reporting that Claire Foy has been offered the role of Queen Elizabeth II. Foy, who impressed in Nic Cage flick Season of the Witch and even more so as Lady Macbeth on the London stage last year, will likely play the young Queenie, with three actresses expected to play Elizabeth over the course of her life. There is no word yet on whether Helen Mirren will reprise her Oscar-winning performance for Her Majesty’s older years – although you can bet Netflix are trying to make it happen.

The behind-the-camera talent, though, is already an impressive bunch. The Crown reunites Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) with Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) as well as producer Andy Harries (The Queen) – a team that between them shares six Oscar nominations.

“The Crown is not only about the royal family but about an empire in decline, a world in disarray and the dawn of a new era. I am beyond thrilled to be reunited with partners from film, theatre and television for this epic project,” comments Peter Morgan.

“Peter Morgan’s scripts turn a tumultuous period of history into a thrilling story on an epic scale; dealing with both intimate relationships and international affairs. I cannot wait to bring The Crown to life for a global audience on Netflix,” says Stephen Daldry.

The Crown will be released in all Netflix territories around the world in 2016.

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