Netflix’s The Crown Now Getting A Prequel Series?
Netflix has had trouble maintaining its value and its subscribers in the last year, and that has made its exclusive content that much more important. One of the streamer’s biggest hits has been The Crown, a show that dramatizes the life and times of the British Royal Family over the years.
The upcoming sixth season of The Crown will be its last, but ComicBook.com reports that series creator Peter Morgan has been considering creating a prequel series.
The Crown Creator Has Ideas
If you were hoping to get many more details about what a Netflix prequel to The Crown would look like, don’t get your hopes up. Morgan was very cryptic about this in a previous interview.
He said, “I do have an idea, but first, I need to do some other things. Second, it would need a unique set of circumstances to come together,”
And he finished with something a bit more concrete: “If I were to go back into The Crown, it would definitely be to go back in time.”
The Crown Already Covers Decades
Netflix subscribers who have been watching The Crown for over half a decade may find it confusing to hear Morgan talk about doing a prequel.
After all, the first season starts in 1947 and portrays events up until 1955. Meanwhile, the upcoming final season is going to cover the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and run through 2005.
In other words, the series will be covering over half a century in only six seasons of television, and Morgan’s words don’t make it clear whether we’d get more stories set in the recent past (say, of Queen Elizabeth II in her prime) or something like a different period piece (say, focusing on Queen Elizabeth I in her prime).
The Crown’s Character Familiarity
If we were betting people, we’d bet that Netflix wouldn’t order a prequel to The Crown unless it focuses on more of the royals that modern audiences are familiar with.
It’s not that there isn’t an audience for royal period pieces set in the distant past: for example, Henry Cavill rose to stardom by appearing in the successful Tudors television show which was set in the 16th century.
But for better or for worse, much of the charm of The Crown is marveling about what the show gets surprisingly right (and hilariously wrong) about the modern Royal Family.
Princess Diana Death
While the show has a well-deserved reputation for being royally outrageous, the creative team behind it is trying to cover the death of the beloved Princess Diana in a more tasteful way.
According to producer Suzanne Mackey, “The show might be big and noisy, but we’re not. There were very careful, long conversations about how we were going to do it.” Ultimately, “The audience will judge it in the end, but I think it’s been delicately, thoughtfully recreated.”
Elizabeth Debicki As Princess Diana
The producers of this Netflix show are hoping that their secret weapon in the portrayal of Princess Diana on The Crown is actor Elizabeth Debicki.
In addition to being a very talented actor, Debicki (like so many people) grew up absolutely adoring Princess Diana. With any luck, that combination of talent and passion will translate to a tasteful and engaging final season.
The Crown’s Two Parts
Of course, in the fine Netflix tradition of stretching out content, the final season of The Crown is going to be split into two parts.
Part 1 debuts on November 16 and Part 2 debuts on December 14, meaning there will be plenty of time for obsessive fans to dish about the show with their families during holiday get-togethers.
Maybe while your mom is serving up her famous stuffing at Thanksgiving, she can help us figure out when a possible prequel to The Crown would be likely to take place.
