Netflixis raising the curtain onThe Crown’s next act.
On Friday, the streamer dropped first look photos from season 5 of the royal drama, which premieres next month. The series of seven images are shots from separate scenes, teasing the intrigue to come. Keeping in the style of previous seasons, anew caststeps up into the royal roles to reflect the changing decades. The latest chapter will cover the 1990s, a turbulent era that began with the dramatic dissolution ofPrince CharlesandPrincess Diana’s marriage.
One image showsElizabeth Debickias a downcast Princess Diana, wearing a halter dress similar to the one the Princess of Wales wore at aVanity Fairfundraising gala in 1995.
Keith Bernstein/Netflix
“That’s the amazing thing about playing these people at this time because in the journey ofThe Crownso far out of all the seasons, this is the most visual content we have of the royal family,” the actress said in a statement to Tudum.
“In the ’90s, everything had started to be filmed and also it was the birth of the 24-hour news cycle, so there’s just this incredible amount of content that we have access to,” the actress explained. “Diana was the most photographed person in the world at that time. As an actor, you open the portal and this huge tsunami of information comes at you. I happily swam around in it.”
Netflix
Oscar nomineeImelda Stauntonand Jonathan Pryce — in character asQueen ElizabethandPrince Philip— wear tartan as they enter what appears to be a formal state occasion.
“What has been nice, and I hope I don’t prove them wrong, is people saying, ‘I’m really looking forward to seeing her as the queen,’ '' Staunton told Tudum, Netflix’s sister site. “So, let’s just hope that works out for them because I’ve done it. Nothing I can do about it now!”
Pryce said of playing the Queen’s husband, “Doing this and looking into Philip’s background and finding out what made him the man he was, that was the interest to me. I’m more interested in their life, their emotional life, which is whatThe Crownexplores.”
Another shot shows Olivia Williams andDominic Westlooking up at the night sky as they play the futureQueen CamillaandKing Charles.
“One of the great things aboutThe Crownis we get to see those sort of imagined intimate moments, which maybe give us a better perspective on someone that we’ve judged,” Williams told Tudum. “Charles and Camilla seem to have a very healthy sense of humor about what at times must be an unbearable predicament. And that is the thing that I most want to show.”
Images show Claudia Harrison laughing at a party asPrincess Anne, Lesley Manville smoking a cigarette asPrincess MargaretandJohnny Lee Millerlooking pensive as Prime Minister John Major, whose 1990 to 1997 tenure further confirms the years the season will cover.
The Crown’s creator Peter Morgan said, “I think Jonny Lee Miller is an absolute triumph in the role and a real surprise.”
There’s also a photo of Debicki as Princess Diana, West as Prince Charles and two young actors in character asPrince WilliamandPrince Harry. The four actors were all smiles on a small boat in the ocean, seemingly recreating a scene from a 1990 vacation to Necker Island.
“I think people understand because the cast has changed every two seasons that this is not an imitation,” West said. “This is an evoking of a character. That’s really where the show lives: in the imagined conversations of their private life, which is something that no one knows. I think that’s what it gets a lot of criticism for. ‘How can you know what they talk about in their private lives?’ The obvious answer is we don’t, but we have an incredible writer, a dramatist, who imagines based on exhaustive research, and that’s really part of the fascination of the show.”
While season 5 was originally slated to be the last ofThe Crown, the show’s creators have since announced that season 6 will be its last.
The plot of the final season will reportedly cover the late ’90s and early 2000s with William and Harry in the spotlight. The show will portrayKate Middletonin a minor role, possibly depicting the beginning of her romance withPrince Williamduring their time together at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
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Season 5 ofThe Crownhits Netflix on Nov. 9. Seasons 1 through 4 are now streaming.
source: people.com
