The Crown is set to end with its fifth season with Imelda Staunton taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth.
The surprise news comes just after the premiere of season three of Netflix’s royal drama and ahead of season four of the Left Bank-produced series.
Staunton has been rumoured to take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II for a couple of months and the streamer confirmed the casting as it pulled down the curtain on the series. Unlike Claire Foy or Olivia Colman, she will, however, only play Her Majesty for one season.
Creator Peter Morgan has long said that he imagined The Crown running for six seasons but today admitted that as he began working on stories for season five it “became clear… that this is the perfect time and place to stop. I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision.”
It comes after The Crown failed to make the top ten most-watched titles of the year in the UK.
Netflix will, however, continue to work with Morgan, after signing him up to an overall deal last year.
Morgan added, “I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty the 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.”
Cindy Holland, VP, Original Content, Netflix, added, “The first three seasons of The Crown defined an era, and I know the upcoming fourth season will build further on that success. It’s a stunning example of award-winning entertainment, created in the UK and loved by millions of fans around the world. 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.”
Imelda Staunton said, “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.”