It was only a matter of time before Princess Diana popped up in Netflix’s The Crown. That time is now as the award-winning historical drama enters its fifth season — and they even have an actress in place. Today, the show confirmed that Tenet and Guardians of the Galaxy star Elizabeth Debicki will be heading to Buckingham Palace to play Princess Di.
“Princess Diana’s spirit, her words, and her actions live in the hearts of so many,” said Debicki in a statement shared via the show’s Twitter account. “It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series which had me hooked from episode one.”
What’s more, Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) will play Prince Philip alongside Debicki’s portrayal of the late legend in the series’ final two seasons — that is Season 5 and 6. That’s exciting news in and of itself, as Peter Morgan had previously announced back in January that The Crown would end with Season 5. Not anymore, as he’s now reverted back to his initial plan of a six-season arc.
Temper that excitement, though, as we’re still a ways off from a fifth season. In fact, we still have an entire fourth season ahead of us, which will see the return of Olivia Colman as Elizabeth II before she hands the palace over to Imelda Staunton. That season actually finished filming before the pandemic, so it’s likely we’ll see it before 2020 ends.
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It’s worth noting that Debicki isn’t the only star heading to the stacks to study up on the princess. Back in June, it was announced that Kristen Stewart signed on to play Diana for a forthcoming film by director Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Neruda). Given the world at large, it’ll be interesting to see who hits the screen first. For what it’s worth, our money’s on Debicki.
Either way, get ready for a Dianassance.
Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana in the final two seasons of The Crown (Seasons 5 and 6). pic.twitter.com/Z3CjHuJ56B
— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) August 16, 2020
Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip in the final two seasons of The Crown (Seasons 5 and 6), alongside Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville. pic.twitter.com/zI7NotOfc4
— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) August 13, 2020
