Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ Series about Queen Elizabeth II Release Date and News

Sep 29, 2016 07:21 AM EDT

Netflix certainly has its share of hit series with Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and various other hit Marvel series like Luke Cage.  The subscriber service is about to have one of their most ambitious series, possibly of all time, with The Crown.  The story of The Crown is about Queen Elizabeth II, and this is what is known about The Crown Release Date and News. 

According to Time, The Crown was created by Peter Morgan, and if you think this series sounds like the 2007 film The Queen, there is good reason for that.  Morgan wrote that film, and he also wrote the 2013 play The Audience, which also featured the Queen.  Morgan also wrote Frost/Nixon, and it would appear that he is good at writing about people of power.  By the way, you should see the 2008 adaptation of Frost/Nixon directed by Ron Howard, if you haven't seen it yet. 

The Crown was budgeted with $100 million and spans five seasons, focusing on one season for each decade of the queen's reign.  A report from the Telegraph says that The Crown may have cost $156 million, which makes it one of the most expensive Netflix series ever.  It definitely feels like something that you would see on PBS, assuming that billionaires pledged their fortunes instead of "viewers like you". 

You can see the new trailer below how Elizabeth lived her life underneath the shadow of the crown and it shows how the title affected her marriage.  According to Deadline Hollywood, the 10-episode series "goes behind the locked doors in Westminster and Buckingham Palace to reveal the personal intrigues, romances and political rivalries behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century". 

Queen Elizabeth will be played by Claire Foy, and the series will begin when she marries Phillip.  It would appear that Elizabeth is struggling to just be a normal wife, but is surrounded by powerful people and is also powerful herself. 

While Claire Foy might not be a big name (at least not for now), the series is full of them.  For example, Phillip is played by former Doctor Who alumni Matt Smith.  John Lithgow portrays Sir Winston Churchill, Jared Harris plays King George VI, Victoria Hamilton is the Queen Mother, Vanessa Kirby is Princess Margret, and the one and only Dame Eileen Atkins plays the role of Queen Mary. 

You will be able to see The Crown on Netflix on November 4, but that will only be for its first season.  I'm guessing that the next season won't be available until next year.  I would imagine that each season would have to age the actors ten years, resulting in a new period piece every season.