Netflix reveals first look image of Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in 'The Crown'

WASHINGTON — Streaming platform Netflix recently released the first look image of Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth season of “The Crown.” Staunton has taken over the role from Olivia Colman, who herself replaced Claire Foy.

The production for the Left Bank Pictures‘ lavish royal drama got underway in the United Kingdom this month, with a completely new cast stepping into the shoes of Britain’s most famous family, as per reports.

Not long after the shoot commenced, the official Twitter handle of “The Crown” shared an early glimpse of Staunton as the new Queen Elizabeth II.

In the image, Staunton sported a printed yellow dress, paired along with a necklace of pearls and a look of disdain pointed towards an unseen person outside the frame.

Other cast members on the show include Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Dominic West as Prince Charles, and Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major.

Season 5 will also see Oscar-nominated Lesley Manville play Princess Margaret. Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter previously portrayed the role.

The storyline in season 5 will include Princess Diana’s bombshell British Broadcasting Corporation’s Panorama interview, which made headlines in recent months after an inquiry revealed the full scale of reporter Martin Bashir’s deceit in securing the scoop, reports suggest.

Speaking about playing the Queen earlier this year, Oscar-nominated Staunton said the role comes with added complexity as “The Crown” chronicles more recent periods in British history.

“I think my sort of extra challenge, as if I needed it, is that I’m now doing the Queen that we’re a little more familiar with,” she said.

“With Claire Foy, it was almost history, and now I’m playing one that people could say ‘she doesn’t do that,’ ‘she’s not like that,’ and that’s my personal bete noire.”

“The Crown’s” upcoming seasons five and six of will cover the 1990s, the decade which saw several events happening like the split of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales; the Windsor Castle fire, Duke of York and Sara Ferguson’s marriage collapse, and the demise of Princess Diana.

“The Crown” has become one of Netflix’s most defining prestige dramas since it first aired in 2016, winning numerous awards and coming to underline the company’s commitment to big-budget production spend in the United Kingdom, where it now has a significant presence.

The show’s fourth season recently scored 24 Emmy nominations, tied with “The Mandalorian,” for the series with the most nominations this year.

(With inputs from ANI)

Edited by Ojaswin Kathuria and Nikita Nikhil