Imelda Staunton will be Queen Elizabeth for The Crown

"I have watched The Crown since season one. As an actress, it was a joy to see how Claire Foy and Olivia Colman's interpretation then enriched the screenplay by Peter Morgan. I am sincerely honored to join an exceptional creative team and bring this series to its conclusion. " The actress Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter, Pride and Downton Abbey) will lend her face to Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth and final season just announced by the streaming giant Netflix. Meanwhile, the shooting of the fourth season is underway, which sees the renewal of Olivia Colman as the Queen, played in the first two seasons by Claire Foy. The fourth season will soon debut on the platform in all countries where the service is active. Peter Morgan - creator, screenwriter and executive producer of The Crown - said: "I am thrilled to announce that Imelda Staunton will play Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth and final season, bringing The Crown to the 21st century. Imelda has an amazing talent and is perfect for the role, already played by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman. Initially I had imagined six seasons for The Crown, but now that we have started working on the script for the fifth season, I realized that it is the perfect time to stop. I am grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision. "
Cindy Holland - VP, Original Content, Netflix - added: "The first three seasons of The Crown have defined an era and the fourth season will further consolidate the success of the series. It is an excellent example of award-winning serial, created in the UK and loved by millions of fans around the world. I fully support Peter Morgan's creative decision and I can't wait to see how he, Imelda Staunton, the rest of the cast and crew will bring this time series to the right and extraordinary conclusion. "