The Crown season 5 has a new talented actress playing the role of Queen Elizabeth. Imelda Staunton said that she has been working on her role for months ahead of the production in 2021.
Staunton is taking over for Olivia Colman, who played the Queen in the Netflix drama's third and fourth season. The 64-year-old star will have a huge challenge ahead of her as The Crown season 5 will reportedly cover Her Majesty's infamous "annus horribilis."
In an interview with This Morning, Staunton confirmed that she has been watching and listening to archival footage of Queen Elizabeth to prepare for filming. The cast and crew will not be on the set until the summer of next year but Staunton wants to be completely ready before she faces the cameras.
Also new to the cast of The Crown season 5 is accomplished actress Lesley Manville, who will be taking over for Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret. The Olivier-winning star was reportedly the first choice for the role.
Manville said that she's happy to have been passed down the baton from Bonham Carter and she's also looking forward to working next to Staunton. The actress said that she's also been preparing for her role by reading all the books about the royal family and rewatching earlier seasons of the Netflix series.
Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki, on the other hand, will step in for Emma Corrin as the new Princess Diana. Speaking with Daily Mirror, Debicki acknowledged the pressure of playing such an iconic character but it's been a dream role for many actresses.
Debicki said that she's terrified, overwhelmed and excited about working on The Crown season 5. She's actually a fan of the show and has been hooked into watching the series from the very first episode.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Pryce will be playing the role of Prince Philip next season after Tobias Menzies. The Hollywood Reporter cited that Dominic West is still in final negotiations to play Prince Charles, replacing Josh O'Connor, so his addition in the cast is still pending confirmation. On the other hand, there is still no word on who will become the new Camilla Parker Bowles after Emerald Fennell.
The Crown season 5 will cover the years 1990 to 1997, potentially ending in Princess Diana's death or Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's 50th wedding anniversary, which happened months apart from each other. The series is expected to drop the new episodes in 2022, which will also be around the same time the sixth and final season will start filming.
