For a series about the British Royal Family, there seems to be more drama behind the scenes than in front of the camera lately for “The Crown.” Not only was the show announced to have a surprise sixth season after previously revealing a plan to end after five, but apparently, the upcoming Season 5 is actually still roughly two years away from premiering. That is, if the world is still a thing in 2022.
According to Deadline, Left Bank Pictures won’t begin production on Season 5 of “The Crown” until mid-2021, meaning that the penultimate season of the Emmy-winning drama won’t premiere until 2022. Of course, before that’s even an issue, we still are awaiting the release of Season 4, the final batch of episodes featuring Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. That season is expected to premiere sometime before the end of 2020.
There is good news in regards to the extended break between filming seasons. As mentioned, Season 4 marks the end of Colman’s reign as the Queen before Imelda Staunton takes over the role following another time-jump in the story. That means there is a natural pause available in the storytelling that doesn’t make the delay all that worrisome. In addition, the report claims that filming for the sixth and final season will be in 2022, meaning there likely won’t be an extended delay before fans can see how “The Crown” ends. (My speculation is that it will end with nuclear war and tease a post-apocalyptic spin-off series following a future generation of British royalty overcoming the odds to once again rule the kingdom and protect it from the invading forces of France. I must admit, I have yet to watch an episode of “The Crown,” so my guess could very well be wrong.)
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“The Crown” has been one of the biggest critical hits for Netflix over the streaming service’s short history. Unlike “Stranger Things” and the rest of the streaming series that seem to take over the social media landscape with each new season, “The Crown” just continues to be a showcase of acting and filmmaking talent that allows Netflix to earn trophies and tout its bonafides.