Netflix series The Crown is currently filming the sixth season of the hit drama series charting the British Royal Family during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Following the death of the iconic monarch today, Netflix is reportedly considering temporarily shutting down filming as a mark of respect in light of the sad news.
The Crown has been a massive hit for Netflix. Having charted the course of the Royal Family throughout the decades of Elizabeth’s reign as British Queen, it was previously thought that the upcoming fifth season was going to be the last. However, Netflix subsequently confirmed that a sixth season would be going into production, which would round out the story. Whether this will now also incorporate the death of the monarch is not yet known, but with the fifth season still to air and the sixth not likely to arrive until late 2023 or 2024, it would not be unexpected for the series to complete its story with today’s unprecedented news and the events which follow.
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The Crown writer Peter Morgan, who also wrote The Queen, which starred Helen Mirren in the title role, acknowledged Elizabeth’s passing in a short statement saying, “The Crown is a love letter to her and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.”
Related: The Crown Prequel: British Royal Stories the Series Could Adapt
The Crown Has Always Planned for the Passing of Queen Elizabeth II
Via: Radio Times
As a series that charts the life of a monarch who was still alive, The Crown has always been aware that events could have an impact on the production of the show at any time. Back when the first season went into production, director Stephen Daldry commented that there would a halt on production for a respectful length of time should anything happen to Elizabeth while filming was underway. At the time, he said:
“None of us know when that time will come but it would be right and proper to show respect to the Queen. It would be a simple tribute and a mark of respect. She’s a global figure and it’s what we should do. She’s an extraordinary woman and people will be upset.”
It seems like the same principle has been carried on with the show as it has progressed through subsequent seasons, and while Netflix is yet to confirm whether this will happen, it seems pretty much certain from Morgan’s comments that there will be a halt on the latest season as the world comes to terms with the loss of one of its most iconic people.
Season 5 of The Crown will feature Imelda Staunton as Elizabeth, taking over the role from Olivia Colman and Claire Foy, who played the younger versions of the Queen in earlier seasons. The new season is set to premiere on Netflix later this year, and will deal with the 1990s, which brought many challenges to the British monarchy and the Queen herself.
Seasons 1-4 of The Crown are currently streaming on Netflix.
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