While many TV shows have been forced to shut down production due to the coronavirus outbreak, The Crown was able to finish filming. ET has learned that Peter Morgan’s Netflix drama has completed principal photography on season four, having pulled the final shoot date forward by a few days.
The news comes after it was reported earlier in the week that production had “kept calm and carried on” with a final week of shooting on the upcoming season, with Deadline writing that Left Bank Pictures “simply need[ed] to tie-up loose ends on the series.”
Recommended Videos
Meanwhile, other series, including Netflix’s The Witcher haven’t been so lucky. The fantasy drama starring Henry Cavill just started production on season two in February before having to halt filming in the United Kingdom due to the coronavirus. Additionally, Kristofer Hivju, who previously starred on Game of Thrones before joining The Witcher, tested positive for COVID-19.
“My family and I are self-isolating at home for as long as it takes. We are in good health -- I only have mild symptoms of a cold,” he revealed on Monday.
Season four of The Crown will see Olivia Colman reprise her role as Queen Elizabeth II after taking over for Claire Foy in the most recent installment. The Oscar winner is joined by Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Josh O'Connor as Charles, Prince of Wales.
Pennyworth actor Emma Corrin was added to the cast as Prince Diana, who formally makes her debut on the royal drama in season four. The next installment is expected to heavily revolve around her relationship and marriage with Charles.
While that period in royal life was heavily covered in the press at the time, “Peter’s looking at it from a different angle… trying to make it feel like a story that hasn’t been necessarily told,” O’Connor told ET. “We’re now in this stage where we all know what happens, and so it’s kind of more interesting now seeing how Peter carves out a story that we don’t know.”
In addition to Diana, season four will also introduce Prince Andrew. Newcomer Thomas Byrne, who has had bit roles as a child actor, will portray Elizabeth and Philip’s third child in his 20s as the series moves into the 1980s.
No release date for The Crown season four has been announced, but now that the series has finished filming, audiences can only hope that its release will not be delayed and there will be new episodes by the end of the year.
RELATED CONTENT:
Josh O’Connor on 'Emma,' Playing Prince Charles and 'The Crown' Ending After Season 5 (Exclusive)