Stars of The Crown including Emma Corrin, Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter have shared their thoughts about the show’s fourth season, in a compelling new behind-the-scenes teaser.
The show’s latest season – which is launching on Netflix on Sunday – is described in the video as the ‘finest’ season yet by series director Benjamin Caron.
It is set to tell the story of the royal family in the 1980s, when two iconic figures – PM Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) and Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) – disrupt the staid and stoical status quo.
Family photo: Stars of The Crown have shared their thoughts about the show’s fourth season, in a compelling new behind-the-scenes teaser
The teaser also shows footage of the immense behind-the-scenes operation of the show, which reportedly costs Netflix north of $100 million per season.
Other footage in the video shows Prince Charles fighting with the Queen, the Queen chatting to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Princess Diana and Prince Charles dancing together in a ballroom.
The show’s design appears as sumptuous as viewers have become accustomed in the first three series, with the Queen shown multiple times in all her red and gold finery, and numerous scenes set in her various palaces.
Action! The teaser also shows footage of the immense behind-the-scenes operation of the show, which reportedly costs Netflix north of $100 million per season
Hard at work: The show’s fourth season is described in the video as the ‘finest’ season yet by series director Benjamin Caron
Precise: The show’s production and design appears as sumptuous as viewers have become accustomed in the first three series
Describing her role in the new season, newcomer Emma Corrin, 24, says: ‘We meet Diana when she’s 16 and we follow her through till she’s about 28.
‘It explores everything from her marriage to her discovering her voice and who she is.’
Describing her part of Margaret Thatcher, Gillian Anderson, 52, hinted at a frosty relationship with the Queen, saying: ‘Within the 11 years [of the show], you see her relationship with the queen, the difference in their worlds.’
Olivia Colman, 46, who plays the queen, adds of their relationship: ‘You think: Surely this is going to work out really well – and it doesn’t.
‘It isn’t the beautiful friendship the queen hopes it is going to be.’
Fresh faced: Describing her role in the new season, newcomer Emma Corrin, 24, says, ‘We meet Diana when she’s 16 and we follow her through till she’s about 28’
A journey: Emma adds that the season ‘explores everything from her marriage to her discovering her voice and who she is’
Colman added that she found aspects of Season 4 more difficult, revealing: ‘The more it comes to the modern day, the more we are dealing with people’s emotions that are around – and I find that a bit difficult.’
Princess Anne actress Erin Doherty, 28, suggests the show is popular because it shows the human face behind the royal family.
She says: ‘This show is so special because it goes – no they have a beating heart, look at them.’
Peter Morgan, the writer behind The Crown, describes the creation process behind creating the show: ‘You’re trying desperately to remain truthful about what you’re writing about, but in fact you’re so burdened by what you know happened.
Testing times: Describing her part of Margaret Thatcher, Gillian Anderson, 52, hinted at a frosty relationship with the Queen
No laughing matter: Olivia Colman, 46, who plays the queen, adds of their relationship, ‘You think: Surely this is going to work out really well – and it doesn’t’
Maestro: Writer Peter Morgan says of his process, ‘You’re trying desperately to remain truthful about what you’re writing about, but in fact you’re so burdened by what you know happened’
Difficult: Peter Morgan adds, ”I’m just in this to try and tell the story of what happened in this family, when set against the second half of the 20th Century’
‘I’m just in this to try and tell the story of what happened in this family, when set against the second half of the 20th Century.
‘And I’ve done my best each time and then you have to surrender and step back – it will mean different things to different people.’
And Helena Bonham Carter is full of praise for the Peter’s work, saying: ‘The gift of this job is Peter’s writing – is there are so many colours and facets to this family. It’s basically never boring.’
Executive producer Suzanne Mackie adds that Diana and Thatcher are at the heart of the show, saying: ‘Peter knew that eventually we would get to this era – these two immensely iconic women.
Modern times: Olivia Colman said that she found aspects of Season 4 more difficult as it is ‘closer to the modern day’
Controversial: Olivia says in the teaser, ‘The more it comes to the modern day, the more we are dealing with people’s emotions that are around – and I find that a bit difficult’
Continuation: Despite the new faces, executive producer Suzanne Mackie adds, ‘The Queen is our protagonist, you stray too far from her at your peril’
‘The Queen is our protagonist, you stray too far from her at your peril. You have to constantly bring it back to The Crown.’
Earlier this week, Emma Corrin revealed she asked scriptwriters to add in graphic bulimia scenes to depict the People’s Princess’ battle with the eating disorder.
Speaking to the Radio Times, the screen star said she wanted to include scenes of Diana vomiting to portray the eating disorder in an ‘honest way.’
Speaking of the scenes, which Emma developed with her movement coach, she said: ‘We’d been working on her body language and we put together a document that we sent to the script team and said: “Can you include some of this in the writing because we’d love to really flesh out those scenes?”
Traumatic: Earlier this week, Emma Corrin revealed she asked scriptwriters to add in graphic bulimia scenes to depict the People’s Princess’ battle with the eating disorder
Cold: The Crown Season 4 is set to show the royal family as being largely unsympathetic towards Diana’s difficulties
‘I felt that if we were trying to depict bulimia in an honest way, we had to actually show it – otherwise it’s a disservice to anyone who has been through that.
‘I don’t think we should shy away from those conversations; Diana was very candid about her experience with bulimia and I so admire that.’
Diana herself first revealed her battle with bulimia during her bombshell Panorama interview with Martin Bashir in 1995.
The Cambridge alum said she related to pressure put on young women to be ‘thin and glamorous’ and that social media placed further importance on people to ‘be a certain way.’
The Crown series four will be released on Netflix on Sunday, November 15th.
Finding her voice: Diana herself first revealed her battle with bulimia during her bombshell Panorama interview with Martin Bashir in 1995