Fresh off a new batch of Emmy nominations (13 in total), Netflix’s award-winning historical drama The Crown delivers a first-look image of Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. Season 3 of the series will usher in plenty of change, as a planned time jump has necessitated an entirely new cast, of which Colman will be the central focus. Joining her in the ongoing drama surrounding the royal family and their sometimes too public private lives is Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Daniels, and Erin Doherty as Princess Anne. No doubt there will be plenty more additions to the cast in the weeks to come as production gets underway and the royal family needs to be filled out.

For her part, Colman’s addition to the series was a sign that The Crown’s planned time jumps were going to be a smart move on behalf of the production. After two seasons with Claire Foy in the lead role, it will undoubtedly be a tricky proposition to see someone else in the role, but somehow Colman already makes the transition easier. It’s also worth noting that with the rest of the primary cast being replaced, to better convey the passage of time, it’ll be more like fans of the series are being treated to an entirely new show than if the series were cherry picking parts to be recast. As for the image itself, there’s not much to be revealed other than Colman certainly looks the part, and the series appears to have maintained its lavish production values.

The Crown is set to jump ahead from the mid ‘60s to the early ‘70s for season 3, but it’s a bit tricky to discern when, exactly, this image is meant to take place. It could be just a few years after season 2 ended or much later than that, though an expert is the royal family would likely be able to discern a more accurate range by just looking at the queen’s garb.


Set for release in the early part of 2019, season 3 is going to be a big test of whether or not The Crown’s planned structure of spending two seasons with a particular cast before jumping forward in time and replacing the actors will pan out. So far, there doesn’t seem to be the typical fan outcry over casting announcements.

It’s quite the opposite, actually, as there seems to be an air of excitement over the news of who’s playing who in the next phase of the series. That likely has something to do with the subject of the series (a lack of superhero or science fiction characters will do that), but also with the quality of the cast the show has lined up for its new season. If this glimpse at what The Crown has in store for season 3 is any indication, everything’s going to be just fine.

The Crown season 3 is expected on Netflix in the early part of 2019.