'The Crown' Not Returning Just Yet Despite Revival Rumors

Despite reports that 'The Crown' could return with 'bite-size helpings,' series creator Peter Morgan is reportedly busy with a new project at Netflix.

By Allison Schonter

Fans hoping to delve back into the lives of the British royal family shouldn't get their hopes up. Despite recent reports that Netflix's hit historical drama The Crown could be returning as "bite-size helpings," a new installment of the show, which concluded in December with its sixth and final season, is not in the works.

Deadline reported Thursday that Peter Morgan, who created and produced The Crown, currently has a packed slate, with his next project for Netflix set to be a film adaptation of his stage play Patriots. The play, which Netflix backed the Broadway production of, chronicles "the rise of billionaire Boris Berezovsky and the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin," with Tom Hollander portraying Berezovsky in the UK and Michael Stuhlbarg in the U.S., as Will Keen portrayed Putin in the West End and Broadway versions. A source told the outlet that as part of Netflix's backing of the Broadway production, the deal also included a commitment to develop a Patriots film, but the project hasn't yet been officially greenlit.

The possible film adaptation will come on the heels of Morgan's work on The Crown. The series, which debuted on Netflix in 2016, centers around the British royals and Queen Elizabeth's history-making reign, with each season documenting approximately a decade of Her Majesty's reign. Featuring a revolving cast, the first season was set between 1947 and 1955, with the series concluding in December 2023 during the latter half of the '90s and early 2000s as the story began to focus on the beginnings of Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance. The Crown never advanced to the more recent events within the royal family, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage and retirement as work royals, and the subsequent highly-reported rift between Harry and his father and brother.

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Hope that the show would be picked up for additional episodes, despite the December series finale, sparked following the success of Scoop, a biographical drama film for Netflix that recounting the process of securing and filming the 2019 BBC television interview of Prince Andrew by presenter and journalist Emily Maitlis. The Sun reported on May 6 that the movie's success "reminded execs how much of a draw the royals remain for viewers," prompting Netflix to consider bringing The Crown back "in bite-size helpings, starting with the reign of Edward VII." An insider added that Netflix was hoping to "repeat the pattern" of Scoop by focusing "on one mom¬ent in time" and "delivering prequels in a short¬er form."

Netflix has not commented on the reports, which follow Morgan's own hinting of one day returning to The Crown, having previously teased shifting focus to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. The Crown is available to stream on Netflix.

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