It was slightly funny to see how many people immediately thought “but we’re still getting the new season of The Crown, right?” following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. It was an innocent enough thought – there’s been so much build-up to The Crown’s Season 5 and the story of Princess Diana in the 1990s, when she was freeing herself of the royal bonds. As far as anyone knows, Season 5 is still due to be released in November, but they did hit pause on the production. Still, Netflix has made no move to push the season premiere back. Additionally, following QEII’s passing, The Crown’s early seasons have been some of the most-watched content on Netflix. Meanwhile, Peter Morgan seemingly only paused the production for a couple of days. The Crown was back to filming in Spain this week.
Production on season 6 of The Crown has resumed days after Queen Elizabeth’s death, according to photos captured from the set earlier this week. The show, which has chronicled decades of the monarch since a young Queen Elizabeth’s ascent to the throne after her 1947 wedding day to Prince Philip, has been filming in a town near Barcelona, Spain, for its sixth and final season.
Photos captured from the set on Monday show actress Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana as she recreates Diana’s trip to Bosnia in 1997 — just shortly before her tragic death on Aug. 31 of that year.
The series’ creator, Peter Morgan, wrote a statement to Deadline on the day of the monarch’s death last week explaining the productions’ plan. “The Crown is a love letter to [the Queen] and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect,” Morgan said in his statement to the outlet Thursday. “I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.” (Variety confirmed on Friday that season 6 production had halted.)
Netflix has not responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the immediate future of the series, including whether it will move forward with an anticipated fall premiere for season 5.
The series — whose first season depicts the early life events of the British monarch up until 1955, including her marriage to Prince Philip and becoming Queen upon her father King George VI’s death — has found a new audience as the first season enters Netflix’s Top 10 after the monarch’s death. Between Sept. 5 and 11, subscribers streamed 17.6 million hours of The Crown, bringing the historical drama’s first season to No. 7 on Netflix’s Top 10 English-language series chart, according to Variety.
“HRH Queen Elizabeth II was in the hearts and minds of viewers,” Netflix said in a statement, obtained by the outlet.
Even before QEII’s death, The Crown was one of Netflix’s biggest signature series. Netflix is ready to give Peter Morgan whatever he wants to extend the series too, and it’s already worked – originally, Morgan was going to end the series with Diana’s passing. Now we’ll get Season 6, the Tony Blair years. Maybe Netflix executives will talk Morgan into doing the Gordon Brown years, the David Cameron years and let’s not forget the Theresa May and Boris Johnson years. I think the BoJo years would dovetail perfectly with the final “season” of the Queen’s life. Or maybe Morgan will just skip all of that and do a “reboot” of The Crown ten years from now and start over with the Liz Truss government.
Filming on The Crown Resumes in Spain Following Queen Elizabeth's Death https://t.co/mF3Yq5sS1V
— People (@people) September 14, 2022
Photos courtesy of Netflix and Backgrid.
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki pictured on set filming scenes as Princess Diana for the new series of The Crown in London. Pictured: Elizabeth Debicki BACKGRID USA 20 JANUARY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: COBRA / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki pictured on set filming scenes as Princess Diana for the new series of The Crown in London. Pictured: Elizabeth Debicki BACKGRID USA 20 JANUARY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: COBRA / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki pictured on set filming scenes as Princess Diana for the new series of The Crown in London. Pictured: Elizabeth Debicki BACKGRID USA 20 JANUARY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: COBRA / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Every time I see photos of Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, it freaks me the eff out. I can’t wait for season 5. I’m speculating that now we might even get another season but I’m not holding my breath. I just don’t think even Peter Morgan has THAT much respect for who’s left in the family.
Agreed.
There is so much more they can tackle now that the Queen has passed. Especially as we’re hurtling towards the Andy, Maxwell and Epstein years.
Ooh this is interesting! I had thought Season 5 would end with Diana’s death, but it clearly isn’t. So we’ll get her death and the funeral and all that in season 6? Maybe it will end with the QM’s death and the Queen’s golden jubilee?
That means there’s going to be a LOT in Season 5, bc Season 4 ended….in 1990 I think? So S5 won’t be a full decade.
Yeah wonder where and when S5 will end because I was under the impression it would end at Diana’s death.
Maybe instead it ends at the divorce in 1996? Then S6 could be the “full decade” season and goes up to C&C’s marriage. It would be full circle. The Crown starts with the wedding of an heir and ends it the same way.
To me it makes sense in all ways from all angles to continue the series through QEII’s death.
I read they have cast a Kate Middleton and even the actress confirmed so clearly they will continue well into the new Millenium.
It’s entirely possible they’ve only hired the actress for 1 episode or maybe even 2. The Crown has had people only appear in 1 episode before.
Some people whom i assume live a privelleged life think because of the Queens passing that everything can come to a halt? People need to work and provide for themselves and their families, things need to go on.
Netflix has pushed back the premiere of Great British Baking Show because the premiere of the new season in Britain has been postponed until after Charles’s coronation. Wth! Both premieres were supposed to happen this week. Why can’t Netlix show the premiere? This is America? At least that is what I read on a Netflix website earlier this week. Maybe things have changed because of viewer blowback lol
Damn it!!! I have been dying for that show to come back, lol.
I can’t speak for Netflix, but the first episode of the Great British Bake Off (as we know it) started on Channel 4 here last night, so it definitely hasn’t been postponed.
@Emma ohhh thanks for that. Usually it comes out a week later than the Channel 4 airing on Netflix here. I’ll look for it!
I wish they would do a season (prequel?) starting with George V’s rein up to the beginning of season 1.
This is the right call. They’re 1000% in Lifetime Movie territory now that they have a Will, Kate, Harry, etc. The first couple seasons show was amazing because it was a history most of us never saw. We all know what W&K&H look like! They’re RIGHT THERE!
I have no interest in watching this.
I recall Watergate as the big scandal when I was a teenager and I just have no interest in rehashing fictionalized history. I know how it ends. lol
I prefer to watch new, original material which is getting near impossible to find.
All the Marvel, sequels, remakes, etc.
Heck, Tom Cruise has been making the same MI movie, what 6? 7? times. lol
At this point with the way that Meghan and Harry have been treated – just keep going. Piss Charles right off.
Big fan of Elizabeth Debicki ever since Night Manager with Tom somebody. She really is talented.