The Crown creator Peter Morgan is reportedly crafting a prequel series that would span almost five decades leading up to the events of the first season.
According to the Daily Mail, the story will begin in 1901, with the death of Queen Victoria, and proceed to chart the various milestones and crises faced by the Royal Family up until 1947, when The Crown picks up the thread.
A project of this description was first touted to be in the works back in April 2022, as the original series prepared to launch its final iteration, which starred Dame Imelda Staunton, Sir Jonathan Pryce and Lesley Manville, among others.
This would prove to be the most controversial era of the lavish Netflix series, with some viewers criticising The Crown for becoming more sensationalised the closer it came to present-day events.
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Morgan himself said that he wouldn’t want to bring the show any closer to contemporary times, to avoid the series becoming more “journalistic” than “historical” and missing aspects of recent stories that may come to light further down the line.
However, he suggested in a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that a prequel series was still very much on the table.
“I cannot imagine any circumstances in which I’d want to go further into the present, as it were, but at the same time, I don’t think I’m done with the subject,” said Morgan.
“I might find some way of coming into it from a different way. If you go back in time, you always have that wonderful opportunity for metaphor. You can find a story in the past and tell that, and it [will] actually be a story about the present, but in camouflage.
“And that, I think, might be a more elegant way forward. To move forward from where I left the show off at the moment feels too soon.”
These remarks offer some clues as to what Morgan has planned for the supposed prequel, with the deal between Netflix and Left Bank Pictures reportedly valued at a jaw-dropping £500 million.
An insider has now told the Daily Mail: “Netflix has been locked in negotiations with the company for quite a long time about this spin-off series, but they’ve recently finally managed to seal the deal and come to an agreement.
“Peter had already been putting pen to pad and casting is expected to take place next year.”
It remains to be seen how many seasons the prequel could run for, but with such a hefty sum involved, it’s likely that several would be planned to examine this momentous era, which encompasses both World Wars and the abdication of Edward VIII.
We’ll bring you more news on the project as it comes in.
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