James R | On 17, Aug 2021

Netflix has released the first images of Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown Season 5.

The royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. A large part of that is the show’s impeccable cast, with Season 3 and 4 seeing Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles, plus Emma Corrin as Princess Diana.

Season 5 will once again mark a changing of the guard, with Imelda Staunton taking over from Colman as the Queen, alongside Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip. Jonny Lee Miller will also join the cast as John Major, as the fifth and penultimate season takes the Netflix series into the early 1990s.

But most intriguing of all is the duo who have been cast to step into the shoes of Charles and Diana, and now the first pictures of Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki give us a first glimpse of them in character – and, tellingly, in separate images to each other.

 

First look: Imelda Staunton in The Crown Season 5

2nd August 2021

Netflix has released a first image from Season 5 of The Crown featuring Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II.

The royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

Season 5 will once again see a changing of the guard, with Imelda Staunton taking over from Colman as the Queen, alongside Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, plus Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. Jonny Lee Miller will also join the cast as John Major, as the fifth and penultimate season takes the Netflix series into the early 1990s.

Now, we’ve got our first glimpse of what this new era will look like, as Staunton steps into the royal shoes.

 

Jonny Lee Miller to play John Major in The Crown Season 5

25th June 2021

Jonny Lee Miller has joined the cast of The Crown to play John Major.

The royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

Season 5 will once again see a changing of the guard, with Imelda Staunton taking over from Colman as the Queen, alongside Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, plus Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. But equally key to the show’s success has been its focus on politics as well as family matters, with previous seasons charting the relationship between Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) and Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson).

Conservative MP John Major served as Prime Minister of the UK from 1990 to 1997, coinciding with the final years of Princess Diana. Major was part of Thatcher’s cabinet, serving as both Chancellor and Foreign Secretary, before going on to lead the country – although he’s no stranger to gossip and scandal, with his affair with former MP Edwina Curry attracting tabloid headlines.

Miller will step into his shoes for The Crown’s fifth and penultimate season, which takes the Netflix series into the early 1990s. His breakout role came in Trainspotting, but he’s no stranger to the small screen, having starred in Elementary. The announcement of his casting follows reports that Dominic West was in the frame to play Prince Charles.

 

Dominic West lined up for The Crown Season 5 and 6

20th October 2020

Dominic West is being lined up to inherit the role of Prince Charles in The Crown.

The royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

At the beginning of the year, Netflix confirmed that Imelda Staunton would take over from Colman in the lead role for the fifth and sixth seasons, which will mark the final chapters of the drama. She will be joined by Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, plus Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.

Now, the crucial role of her husband is also close to being filled, with sources telling Variety that Dominic West is in “late-stage discussions” to take over the part of Prince Charles over the series’ final two seasons. West would come to the role following notable roles in The Wire and, fittingly, The Affair.

 

Elizabeth Debicki to play Princess Diana in The Crown

16th August 2020

The Crown has found its Princess Diana again, with Elizabeth Debicki to step into the iconic royal shoes for the show’s fifth and sixth season.

The royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

At the beginning of the year, Netflix confirmed that Imelda Staunton would take over from Colman in the lead role for the fifth and sixth seasons, which will mark the final chapters of the drama. She will be joined by Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip.

Now, the most difficult part of the ensemble has been cast, with Debicki to play Princess Diana, taking over from Emma Corrin in Season 4. Debicki comes to the show after a run of impressive roles in projects including Widows, The Tale, The Night Manager and The Man from UNCLE. She will next be seen in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

“Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many,” Debicki commented. “It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which had me absolutely hooked from Episode 1.”
 

Jonathan Pryce to play Prince Philip in The Crown

13th August 2020

Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip’s shoes for Netflix’s The Crown.

The royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

At the beginning of the year, Netflix confirmed that Imelda Staunton would take over from Colman in the lead role for the fifth and sixth seasons, which will mark the final chapter of the drama. She will be joined by Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret. Now, the other key lead part has been cast, with Jonathan Pryce to succeed Menzies as the Duke of Edinburgh.

Former Bond villain Pryce comes to the role fresh from an Oscar nomination for Netflix’s The Two Popes, but is no stranger to TV either, having played High Sparrow in Game of Thrones.

“I am delighted to be working with Netflix again,” said Pryce in a statement. “The positive experience I had in making The Two Popes has given me the confidence to tackle the daunting prospect of portraying Prince Philip. To be doing so with Peter Morgan in the company of Imelda and Lesley will be a joy.”

 

Netflix’s The Crown will end with Season 6

9th July 2020

The Crown will end with Season 6, Netflix has confirmed.

The royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

At the beginning of the year, Netflix confirmed that Imelda Staunton would take over from Colman in the lead role for the fifth and final run of the show. Now, after Lesley Manville has been confirmed to play Princess Margaret, Netflix has revealed that will actually be six seasons of the show, rather than the initially planned five.

Writer and creator Peter Morgan said: “As we started to discuss the storylines for Series 5, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons.”

That means you can expect two seasons with Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, after the upcoming fourth run starring Olivia Colman.

 

Lesley Manville play Princess Margaret in The Crown Season 5

2nd July 2020

Lesley Manville will officially play Princes Margaret in Season of The Crown.

Netflix’s royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

At the beginning of the year, Netflix confirmed that Imelda Staunton would take over from Colman in the lead role for the fifth and final run of the show. Now, we know that she’ll be accompanied by another screen icon, with Mum, Vera Drake and Phantom Thread star Lesley Manville to take on the role of Elizabeth’s sister.

“I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret,” she said in a statement. “The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses and I really don’t want to let the side down. Furthermore, to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.”

 

Imelda Staunton to star in The Crown’s fifth and final season

31st January 2020

Imelda Staunton will officially take over The Crown from Olivia Colman for the show’s fifth season.

Netflix’s royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That continued even with Season 3, which saw Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

They will stay in place for Season 4, but then Olivia’s reign will end and Imelda’s will begin. The move continues the show’s tradition of reshuffling its cast to portray the royal family as they grow older without the need for prosthetics.

“I have loved watching The Crown from the very start,” said Staunton in a statement. “As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team.”

Those hoping Staunton might steer the show into the modern era, where it could tackle Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage and the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, however, will be disappointed: the fifth season of The Crown is also set to be its last.

Creator and showrunner Peter Morgan said in a statement: “At the outset I had imagined The Crown running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop. I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision.”

Netflix recently revealed that more than 21 million households chose to watch Season 3 in its first four weeks, up more than 40 per cent from Season 2 over the same time period. According to Netflix, more than 73 million households worldwide have chosen to watch The Crown to date.

Imelda Staunton next in line for The Crown

22nd November 2019

Imelda Staunton will reportedly replace Olivia Colman as the Queen in The Crown after her reign is over.

Netflix’s lavish royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a huge smash hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That’s partly thanks to the cast, with national treasure Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies recently taking over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip for Season 3 – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.

That process of recasting is integral to the show’s decades-spanning scale, with each new wave of actors allowing the characters to age without prosthetics or digital effects. Colman et al. will reprise their roles once again in Season 4, but The Daily Mail reports that Colman’s replacement has already been found: Imelda Staunton.

If true, the 63-year-old actor will play Queen Liz for Season 5 and 6. It would only add to the range of roles the Oscar nominee has had over her diverse career, from working class hero Vera Drake and the imperious Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films to Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd on London’s West End – next year, she will take the lead in another stage production, Hello, Dolly!. Staunton is no stranger to the small screen, though, having appeared in Psychoville, Cranford and, most recently, A Confession on ITV.

Netflix has not yet confirmed her casting officially, but rumours of Helena Bonham Carter’s casting for Season 3 proved to be true, so take this with a pinch of salt, but only a small pinch.

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