Long live the Queen.
The Crown, arguably the jewel of Netflix’s original series, is gearing up to shoot its third and fourth seasons back-to-back, and the online streamer has today rolled out the red carpet for its ensemble cast.
Chief among them is newcomer Jason Watkins, who has clinched the role of former British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. He’s the latest cabinet member to feature on The Crown, given previous installments of the popular period drama have carved out room for Winston Churchill (John Lithgow), Clement Attlee (Simon Chandler), Anthony Eden (Jeremy Northam) and Harold Macmillan (Anton Lesser).
We also have confirmation that former Harry Potter actress Helena Bonham Carter is now officially on board to play Princess Margaret, a role previously occupied by Vanessa Kirby. Here’s what Carter had to say about her casting:
I’m not sure which I’m more terrified about – doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby’s Princess Margaret. The only thing I can guarantee is that I’ll be shorter (than Vanessa).
Also on the casting docket for The Crown season 3 are Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth) and Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, a role that was previously earmarked for Paul Bettany before the British thesp was forced to pull out of negotiations due to his ongoing commitment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Said to be much different from previous installments, details of season 3’s story are being kept under lockdown, but given Netflix is bracing for a new slate of actors, we’ll be tuning in to discover how The Crown‘s showrunners and writers handle such a massive overhaul regardless.
Netflix’s The Crown is primed to return in 2019, before the fourth season completes that one-two punch shortly thereafter.