'The Crown' season 3: Release date, cast, plot, trailer and everything you need to know about Netflix's historical drama
Created by showrunner Peter Morgan, Netflix original drama 'The Crown' traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. Now, that the show is ready for its third season, the cast has been replaced by an older set of actors. In seasons three and four, Olivia Colman takes on the role of Queen Elizabeth II from Claire Foy, who won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
The filming for the new season began in July 2018, and Colman confirmed at the Oscars that principal filming had been completed in February 2019 – although some parts of the series were still being reshot back then.
Release date
Netflix UK & Ireland released an official clip of Olivia Colman on Twitter revealing that the new season will roll out on November 17, 2019.In another image captioned "By Royal Decree," the streaming service announced: "Dear Public, The official arrival date of the third series of The Crown is as follows: 17th November 2019. We would like to express deep gratitude to all those involved and we wish the public the most splendid of viewing experiences.
Plot
After the first two seasons chronicled Queen Elizabeth II's reign from 1947-1963, the plot will move towards the era of 1964-1970.
Cast
Olivia Colman
The 'Favourite' and 'Broadchurch' star Olivia Colman succeeds Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in season three of Netflix’s royal biopic. The actress has been a recipient of an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, four British Independent Film Awards, the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, and a BFI Fellowship.
Tobias Menzies
After a prolonged search, Tobias Menzies was finalized in March 2018 as Prince Philip. The actor is best known for his role as Edmure Tully in 'Game of Thrones' and the dual roles of Frank and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall in 'Outlander', which also earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Helena Bonham Carter
'Harry Potter' fame Helena Bonham Carter being cast as the older Princess Margaret this year has turned many heads. The actress was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 'The Wings of the Dove'. (1997). For her role as Queen Elizabeth in 'The King's Speech' (2010), she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Other actors that have been confirmed for season three include: Marion Bailey as Queen Mother, Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles, Jason Watkins as Prime Minister Harold Watkins, Emerald Fennell as Camilla Parker-Bowles, Ben Daniels as Antony Armstrong-Jones, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Emma Corrin as Princess Diana Spencer.
Director/Writer
Peter Morgan
The show has been created by Peter Morgan. He also wrote the 2006 film 'The Queen' and the 2013 stage play 'The Audience'. Several other directors of the television series who were also involved in the stage production are Stephen Daldry, Philip Martin, Julian Jarrold, and Benjamin Caron. Andrew Eaton is the producer of the series along with executive producers Andy Harries, Suzanne Mackie, Matthew Byam-Shaw, Robert Fox, Tanya Seghatchian, Nina Wolarsky and Allie Goss.
Produced and distributed by Left Bank Pictures, Sony Pictures Television and Netflix, it was touted to be the most expensive drama produced, allegedly costing at least £100 million.
First looks
As the show heads towards a time-lapse, a new set of actors will replace the cast. The first looks of some of the actors were released a few months ago.
Olivia Colman, who succeeds Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement: "I think Claire Foy is an absolute genius. She's an incredibly hard act to follow. I'm basically going to rewatch every episode and copy her."
On playing Prince Philip, Menzies said: “I just listened to him loads. It’s partly a technical thing: you want to sound and look like him, but move like him too. I’ve gone slightly crazy just listening to him and listening to him.”
Excited to take on the role, Bonham Carter said in a statement, “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].”
In a statement, Daniels, who is reprising the role of Antony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon, said he is thrilled to portray the 'dynamic' and 'complex' man.
Trailers
Fans got a fresh look at Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth II in a teaser for 'Crown' season 3 which also confirmed the season's official premiere date as November 7. The short clip didn't reveal any details about the new season's plot but we can hope future trailers will drop more hints about how the story might unfold.
On September 20, the showmakers released the first 30-second teaser and captioned it: "One just has to get on with it.
Netflix has now dropped the official trailer and it shows Olivia Colman taking the ropes in her hand in Season 3 of 'The Crown'. The clip has been captioned: "As Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) faces a rapidly changing Britain, her family continues to struggle against the needs of the monarchy and the wants of their fracturing personal lives."
Where to watch
You can stream the third season on Netflix as the show returns on November 17.
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