Last fall, Netflix captivated audiences with its opulent series The Crown, which followed Elizabeth Mountbatten-Windsor’s ascension to the throne after her father King George VI’s death in 1952 and her subsequent transformation into Queen Elizabeth II. With its lavish set design, impressive costumes, and stellar performances from the entire cast (all provided at the substantial rate of $130 million, making The Crown Netflix’s most expensive series to date) The Crown impressed viewers on virtually every front.
While not much has been said about the next season so far by those involved in the show, lead actors Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth II in the series) and Matt Smith (who plays her husband, Prince Philip) recently broke the silence and spoke to Variety about what can be expected from The Crown Season 2. The two revealed that shooting for the sequel season has essentially finished, with only some minor reshoots left on their plates.
One of the major sources of drama in Season 1 of The Crown came from the marriage between Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as the two adjusted to their new reality of living in Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth serving as the head of the British monarchy, and Philip’s frustrations over his marginalized role. “In Season 2, it gets a bit hairier,” Matt Smith mused, speaking to the state of the marriage between Elizabeth and Philip. Foy, addressing the increasing strain between Elizabeth and Philip and how that manifests itself within their relationship, added, “In Season 2, there are scenes I would never want to relive.”
Foy further elaborated on how the themes of marriage and troubled relationships from Season 1 carry over to Season 2 in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She explained, “This is a story of a marriage very much in the second series, and how they navigate that.” Foy stressed, “It’s not going to be a rose-tinted view of marriage.”
While the first season worked within the timespan of the late 1940s to mid-1950s, the second season will take place during the 1960s, an era that will have tangible repercussions on the relationship between the Queen and her husband according to the two British actors. “There’s an edge to the dynamic between them,” Smith stated. “We’re entering the sixties and the world is changing around them in quite significant ways. [And] like always with the royal family, they’re having to adapt but they’re having to do it away from the public.”
The nature of change is a concept not unfamiliar to The Crown, and especially its lead actors Smith and Foy. Soon after the release of Season 1, showrunners announced that Smith and Foy would be replaced after Season 2 due to the age of the characters come Season 3. Critics and fans alike celebrated both Foy and Smith’s performances, and it will be disappointing to see such strong actors leave the show. But for now, fans still have Season 2 to look forward to.
The Crown Season 2 is expected to premiere later this year.
