Despite countless productions around the world being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix's The Crown will continue filming its fourth season. The spread of coronavirus has become a major threat to the entertainment industry over the past few days. As people are advised to stay at home as much as possible, the weekend box office tumbled to a twenty-year low, and major movie theater chains have shuttered their doors for the time being. While major upcoming releases have been delayed, many ongoing film and television shoots have been put on hold to keep casts and crews safe from potential infections. This has led to a great deal of uncertainty regarding the future of the entertainment industry as many wonder what the long-term effects of the outbreak will be.
Netflix has exhibited great caution when it comes to their projects. Last week, it was confirmed that Netflix had halted production on all of its ongoing shows in the United States and Canada, including the highly-anticipated fourth season of Stranger Things. Those production shutdowns have gravitated towards the United Kingdom, with The Witcher season 2 stopping production. Later, one of its stars, Kristofer Hivju, tested positive for coronavirus.
According to Deadline, The Crown season 4 will continue with its normal production schedule despite the coronavirus. Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind The Crown, has been in conversation with Netflix and insisted on carrying on with production. This is largely because the series has only one week left in the season to wrap up some loose ends.
The Crown season 4 is expected to bring the British Royal Family into the 80s. Olivia Colman will once again play Queen Elizabeth after taking on the role in season 3, and she will be joined by Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret. The Crown season 4 will also introduce Emma Corrin as the future Princess Diana and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher.
Seeing as The Crown has only one week left of filming, it makes sense that Left Bank Pictures would like to see it through. However, with coronavirus becoming a greater concern every day, it might not be the wisest course of action. The fact that Netflix let it continue is a little surprising considering the measures they've taken for other productions, but one can also assume that they want to avoid any more delays than are absolutely necessary. As long as everyone working on The Crown does their best to remain safe, the extra week hopefully won't do any damage.
Source: Deadline