Imelda Staunton May (Or May Not) Play Queen Elizabeth in The Crown Seasons Five and Six
There are conflicting reports about who will star in the show after Olivia Colman.
By Chloe Foussianes
Vittorio Zunino CelottoGetty Images
The Crown is currently filming its fourth season, which will feature Olivia Colman once again wearing the titular crown. But there are already whispers about what's to come in the hypothetical seasons five and six—and who'll ascend the throne after Colman finishes her two-season arc as Queen Elizabeth.
Yesterday, the Daily Mail reported that Imelda Staunton, an Oscar-nominated actress perhaps best known for playing the sickly sweet Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series, had secured the role. There was a subsequent flurry of reports from other outlets, as the media rushed to confirm (or deny) the Mail's supposed scoop.
For its part, Netflix quickly issued a statement contradicting the news. "We are currently filming season four of The Crown but have not commissioned any further seasons as yet, therefore any news on casting remains pure speculation," it read.
Olivia Colman plays Queen Elizabeth in The Crown's recently released third season.
Sophie Mutevelian
However, a source for Deadline claims that Netflix's statement isn't quite right. The source has it that Staunton is in conversations about the role, although nothing is certain as of yet. They also note that, while it's true that seasons five and six have yet to be officially ordered by Netflix, The Crown creator Peter Morgan recently signed an overall deal with Netflix. Sources for Deadline have it that the agreement includes another two seasons of the show.
It's possible that The Crown devotees won't have confirmation about who's signed on to play the Queen for some time—but Town & Country will keep fans apprised of any updates.
Imelda Staunton on Working With Maggie Smith
Chloe Foussianes News Writer Chloe is a News Writer for Townandcountrymag.com, where she covers royal news, from the latest additions to Meghan Markle's staff to Queen Elizabeth's monochrome fashions; she also writes about culture, often dissecting TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Killing Eve.
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