Royal lovers, there’s an exciting TV show about to drop on Netflix and if the first trailer is anything to go by, this is a series that won’t let us down.
The Crown, a 10-part drama based on the early life of Queen Elizabeth II as she prepares to take the throne as a 25 year-old, reportedly had a production budget of about £100 million (about $170 million AUD). Based on the play The Audience, written by Peter Morgan, the Queen will be played by Claire Foy, while Matt Smith, of Doctor Who fame, will play Prince Phillip. The trailer certainly looks lush and plush.
The show focuses on the power struggle between the young husband and wife and her dedication to duty. Listen to this exchange: when Prince Phillip asks his young wife to exempt him from having to bow to her, she boldly refuses.
“Are you my wife or my queen?” he asks.
“I am both. And a strong man would kneel to both,” she declares. (Now that’s a line to commit to memory)
As for what the Royal Family will think of the show. Morgan, who also wrote 2006’s The Queen, starring Helen Mirren, revealed at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour earlier this year that the Palace had known about the show since production began but that contact had been limited. “The royals are aware of the show,” he said.
Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, wouldn’t disclose production costs details, but did say “[The Crown] is produced to a scale that I don’t think many networks could step up to. Because our audience is large and global and the story is incredibly local, we can invest heavily in a project like that.”
The series will hit Netflix on November 4.
