The Crown prequel tipped to see creator Peter Morgan return to write series beginning with events in 1901

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I’m hearing some really exciting news – Peter Morgan, the brilliant mind behind The Crown, is apparently working on a prequel! It sounds like it’ll cover almost fifty years of history, showing us everything that led up to where the first season began. As a huge fan, I can’t wait to see what he does with it!

The Daily Mail reports that the new series will start in 1901, with the passing of Queen Victoria. It will then follow the Royal Family through important events and difficult times up to 1947 – the point where the show ‘The Crown’ begins its story.

Talk of this project began in April 2022, just as the original show was wrapping up with its final season, featuring Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, and Lesley Manville.

This period of the popular Netflix show became its most debated, as some viewers felt it relied more on drama and exaggeration when covering recent history.

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Morgan explained he prefers keeping the show focused on the past, rather than current events. He wants to avoid turning it into a news-style program and losing the benefit of hindsight when future information about these historical periods becomes available.

Despite previous reports, he mentioned in a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that a prequel series is still a possibility.

Morgan explained that she has no desire to dwell on the present moment, but she still feels she hasn’t fully explored the topic at hand.

I could approach this from a new angle. Looking to the past offers a great chance to use symbolism. You can tell a story set in the past that’s really about what’s happening now, but disguised as something else.

I believe that’s a better approach. It feels premature to continue the story right after where I ended it.

These comments hint at Morgan’s plans for the upcoming prequel, which Netflix and Left Bank Pictures are reportedly making with a budget of around £500 million.

According to a source, Netflix and the company have finally reached an agreement after a lengthy negotiation process for the new spin-off series.

“Peter had already been putting pen to pad and casting is expected to take place next year.”

As a huge movie buff, I’m really curious to see how long this prequel will go on for. Considering the big budget, I’m guessing they’re planning multiple seasons – they’ve got a lot of history to cover, spanning both World Wars and that whole dramatic story with King Edward VIII giving up the throne. It’s a really pivotal time period, and I’m excited to see it explored in depth.

We’ll bring you more news on the project as it comes in.

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Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV and streaming drama and comedy for TopMob. Before that, he was at Starburst Magazine and hosted The Winter King Podcast on ITVX. He’s a journalism graduate from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-05-01 14:36