‘The Crown’ Ending in Season 5 With Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II
Zack Sharf
“The Crown” is coming to an end earlier than expected. Peter Morgan, the creator of the Emmy-winning Netflix period drama, has confirmed the show will end after Season 5. Morgan originally envisioned “The Crown” as a six-season drama series, but he realized while developing the show’s fifth season that now was the appropriate time to end the show. “The Crown” debuted its third season last November with Olivia Colman taking over the role of Elizabeth II from Claire Foy, who starred as the Queen in the first two seasons. Colman will play Elizabeth II in the show’s fourth season, followed by Imelda Staunton in the fifth and final season.
“At the outset I had imagined ‘The Crown’ running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop,” Morgan said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision.”
Netflix’s vice president of original content Cindy Holland fully backs Morgan’s decision to end the show early, despite “The Crown” being one of Netflix’s most acclaimed and popular original series. “The first three seasons of ‘The Crown’ defined an era, and I know the upcoming fourth season will build further on that success,” Holland said. “I fully support Peter Morgan’s creative decision and am excited to see how he, Imelda Staunton and the cast and crew of Season 5, bring this landmark series to a fitting and spectacular end.”
As for the casting of Staunton as the show’s final Queen Elizabeth II, Morgan added, “I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty The Queen for the fifth and final season, taking ‘The Crown’ into the 21st Century. Imelda is an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor to Claire Foy and Olivia Colman.”
Staunton released her own statement about her casting on the show, saying “I have loved watching ‘The Crown’ from the very start. As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking ‘The Crown’ to its conclusion.”
Netflix has not announced release dates for either the fourth or fifth seasons of “The Crown.” The first three seasons are now streaming on Netflix.
#TheCrown will return for a fifth and final season with Imelda Staunton playing The Queen.
Creator Peter Morgan originally planned six seasons but says: “Now that we have begun work on the stories for S5 it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop.” pic.twitter.com/2RE6wHsMFB
— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) January 31, 2020
