Netflix original series The Crown announced that Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana in seasons 5 and 6 of the show. The series, which premiered in November 2016 and follows the lengthy reign of Queen Elizabeth II, recasts its actors every two seasons in order to maintain realistic physical appearances. It was originally scheduled for just five seasons, but in July, Netflix shared that a sixth and final season of The Crown will be happening. As each season covers roughly a decade of the Queen's life, this will put the finale in the 21st century. Although the coronavirus pandemic delayed production on many fan-favorite shows, season four of The Crown was not affected and should be reaching screens toward the end of 2020.
Following in the footsteps of seasons 1 and 2, which featured the same award-winning cast of Claire Foy, Matt Smith, and Vanessa Kirby as the Queen, Prince Philip, and Princess Margaret, respectively, the fourth season will feature the same actors as the third. Olivia Coleman replaced Foy, while Tobias Menzies became Philip, and Helena Bonham Carter took over for Margaret. Both sets of actors are critically-acclaimed, receiving nominations and wins at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. A handful of cast members for seasons 5 and 6 were recently announced, including Imelda Staunton as the Queen, Lesley Manville as Margaret, and Jonathan Pryce as Philip.
Princess Diana, the late first wife of Prince Charles, will be introduced in season 4 by British actress Emma Corrin, but now, The Crown's official account tweeted that Debicki will continue Diana's storyline in season 5. The announcement included a quote from Debicki sharing her admiration for the late princess, which can be read below:
Season 4 of The Crown will take on much of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's time in office, which spanned the entirety of the 1980s. Season 3's coverage stopped around 1977, meaning Diana's plotline in the fourth season will likely include her marriage to Charles in 1981 and the births of William and Harry in 1982 and 1984, respectively. Peter Morgan, the main scriptwriter for the show, shared that seasons 5 and 6 will explore events up to the beginning of the 21st century. The decision to extend the show to six seasons instead of the previously planned five was to explore the storylines more deeply. With a reign as long and iconic as Queen Elizabeth II's, there's obviously a lot of ground to cover.
The Twitter announcement stated that Debicki will play Diana in both seasons 5 and 6. The fifth season will probably handle the 1990s, including Diana's separation and divorce from Charles, but her untimely death in 1997 may be drawn out for inclusion in the final season. Whatever the case, fans will have to wait quite a while before seeing it all play out—The Crown season 5 is not expected until at least 2022. For now, fans will have to be satisfied with season 4 when it's released in 2020.
Source: The Crown/Twitter