With The Crown headed towards its conclusion, it looks like Netflix is eager to extend the lifespan of the hit royal drama by beginning work on a potential prequel project. For four seasons, the acclaimed series has enraptured international audiences with its exploration of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, as played by both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman so far. In its upcoming fifth and sixth seasons, Imelda Staunton will take on the role. But The Crown may live on beyond the story of the current queen.
As per Deadline, Netflix is in the midst of “early-stage conversations” with The Crown production company Left Bank about the possibility of collaborating again on a prequel to the show. Though no concrete details are available as yet, Deadline speculates that a prequel would cover a period of British history somewhere between the late Victorian era — which ended in 1901 — and the run-up to World War Two — which began in 1939.
The reason there’s a lot of vagueness surrounding the project right now is that discussions are still forming, with the prequel not yet officially in development or even at the green light stage. No creatives are attached at this time, either, though it’s easy to imagine that Netflix would be looking to secure the services of The Crown creator Peter Morgan, who has served as showrunner for all of its six seasons. Netflix declined to comment when asked for a response to Deadline’s report.
After taking a year off in 2021, The Crown season five is set to land on streaming this fall, moving the narrative into the 1990s. Joining Staunton’s monarch are Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, and Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major. Going by previous runs, we’d expect new episodes to arrive in November or December.