‘The Crown’: Season 5 Updates and the New Princess Diana
Every season, the historical drama series "The Crown" sets the bar with its fascinating storylines, epic costumes and remarkable cast.
After its debut in November 2016, the royal drama won numerous achievements, including the Golden Globes Award for Best TV Series in 2017 and Best Actress in 2017 and 2020, as well as two Primetime Emmy Award.
Aside from its awards, BBC also cited that a total of 73 million households worldwide have tuned in to the royal series since its debut.
In addition, Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos pointed out that the figures showed that "The Crown's" popularity "grows with each new season."
With that said, it begsa the question: what can the viewers expect in the "The Crown" Seaosn 5?
Release Date
Back in January 2020, "The Crown" creator Peter Morgan confirmed that Season 5 will be the finale for the show. He explained that "this is the perfect time and place to stop."
However, six months later, Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the show will be extended for Season 6 on Netflix.
"As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, 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," Morgan revealed.
Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, the production postponed the filming of the new season, which means that "The Crown" Seaosn 5 won't hit Netflix until 2022, per Deadline.
The New Queen Elizabeth II
The historical drama became the crowd favorite, thanks to the "Season of the Witch" star Claire Foy and Oscar winner Olivia Coleman's portrayal of the Queen.
However, the streaming giant previously confirmed that Foy and Coleman's successor will be "Harry Potter" alum Imelda Saunton as the new Queen Elizabeth II.
In her interview, the e 64-year-old actress, who is also an avid fan of "The Crown," shared that it was a huge honor to play the role of the Queen.
"As an actor, it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan's scripts. I am genuinely honored to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion," Saunton shared.
Season 5's Prince Philip and Princess Margaret
Aside from the new Queen, "The Crown's" upcoming season has a new Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret.
Taking over for award-winning actress Helena Bonham Carter, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Princess Margaret, is the "Ordinary Love" star Lesley Manville.
As cited in Harper's Bazaar, Manville mentioned that she "could not be happier" playing her regal role.
On the other hand, the new Prince Philip will be portrayed by 1995 Cannes Best actor Jonathan Pryce.
The Duke of Edinburgh was previously played by Tobias Menzies and "Doctor Who's" Matt Smith.
"The Crown's" Princess Diana
Aside from the new cast, the upcoming season will also feature the People's Princess and her controversial relationship with Prince Charles.
It was recently announced that Elizabeth Debicki is set to play Princess Diana for the show's final seasons.
"Princess Diana's spirit, her words, and her actions live in the hearts of so many," the Australian actress said in a statement posted on the official Twitter account of "The Crown."
"It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one."
Events Covered on "The Crown" Season 5
The show's upcoming season is expected to cover the remarkable events of the British royal family from the 1990s and early 2000s, which is also considered as the controversial phase of the monarchy.
These include the tragic death of the Princess of Wales, Prince Andrew's separation from his wife Sarah Ferguson, and the launch of Princess Diana's bombshell book "Diana: Her True Story," which delves into the fallout of her marriage with Prince Charles.
