Viewers eagerly anticipating the third and final cast changes for Netflix’s The Crown still have some time to wait.
Deadline is reporting that an extensive break in production is planned between seasons 4 and 5 of the global smash hit.
What’s more, the delay is not due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, a hiatus was planned, and production is set to get underway in June 2021.
That means the premiere date will be 2022, at the earliest. It’s hard to imagine Netflix wanting to keep the show from fans, so it will likely receive a premiere date when production and post-production is complete.
The Crown Season 4, premiering later this year, will be the last for Olivia Colman as the queen, paving the way for Imelda Staunton to take over the award-winning role for the final two seasons.
Lesley Manville is also set to take on the role of Princess Margaret, taking over from Helena Bonham-Carter.
The fifth season of The Crown was initially announced to be its last, despite the plan always being to go for six seasons.
However, series creator Peter Morgan later announced that it was best to end at Season 6.
“As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons,” the creator said in a statement.
While there was chatter that latter seasons would bring the show closer to the present, the sixth season will not be bring us to the present … or near to it.
“To be clear, season six will not bring us any closer to present day — it will simply enable us to cover the same period in greater detail,” adds Morgan.
Added Cindy Holland, Netflix’s vp of original content: “The Crown keeps raising the bar with each new season.”
“We can’t wait for audiences to see the upcoming fourth season, and we’re proud to support Peter’s vision and the phenomenal cast and crew for a sixth and final season.”
What are your thoughts on the delay for the penultimate season?
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.