Peter Morgan photographed in London on Nov. 8, 2022.Photo:Daniel LEAL / AFP via Getty
Daniel LEAL / AFP via Getty
The ending ofThe Crownmay have been different ifQueen Elizabethhadn’t died in 2022, according to its creator.
Peter Morgan, the mind behindThe Crown, explained toVarietyin a new interview that he was compelled to change direction with the hit television show as a result of the Queen’s death.
“We’d all been through the experience of the funeral,” he told the publication. “So because of how deeply everybody will have felt that, I had to try and find a way in which the final episode dealt with the character’s death, even though she hadn’t died yet.”
Netflix chief Ted Sarandos said that initial discussions included debates on whether they should end the show with the Queen’s death, but then she ultimately outlived their intended production length. The decision was made to end the program’s timeline in 2005, as they felt, “It was the cutoff to keep it historical, not journalistic.”
That air of being dignified is a hallmark ofThe Crown, which has never sought to satirize the British royal family.
“The British are so comfortable with satire,” Morgan explained. “And I suddenly thought, ‘Could I dare to take them seriously as complex, emotional human beings, not just attack them for their offices or institutions?’ "
The reaction fromThe Crownto the Queen’s death is also in tune with the show’s other sentiments regarding the monarchy. After her passing, Morganwrote in a statementtoDeadlinethat “The Crownis a love letter to [the Queen] and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect, I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.“Varietythen confirmed that season 6 production had come to a halt.
Filming resumed on the showonly a few days later.
In October, Netflix revealed that the sixth season ofThe Crownwould be coming to the streaming service this fall. The new season marks the first time that the series will be split into multiple installments. Part 1 will debut on Thursday, Nov. 16, and part 2 will follow on Thursday, Dec. 14. The season was teased with anew clipshowing fans what they can expect from the final episodes of the show.
Spanning events in Queen Elizabeth’s life from 1997 to 2005 for the final season, the first drop of episodes will examine the relationship between Diana and Dodi Fayed ahead of their fatal car crash in Paris. The second half goes on to chronicle Prince William navigating life in the wake of his mother’s death, the marriage of Charles andCamillaand the early stages of William and Kate Middleton’s relationship.
source: people.com
