Netflix has ordered a prequel to "The Crown" that will cover the period from Queen Victoria's death in 1901 through Princess Elizabeth's wedding in 1947. The series, which does not yet have a title, will add roughly 46 years of additional historical material to the show's already extensive catalog.
The Crown has been one of Netflix's priciest undertakings, with later seasons reportedly costing around $13 million per episode. A prequel adds more episodes to a formula that has proven commercially successful but has drawn criticism for its mounting production costs. The original series already spans 70 years of British monarchy across its six seasons.
The prequel will need to introduce new cast members to play earlier versions of characters audiences already know from the main series. This includes a young King George VI, the Queen Mother, and a pre-war Princess Elizabeth. The production will also face the challenge of filming period material — costumes, sets, vehicles — that have already proven expensive in the parent show.
This is less a creative gamble than a financial one. Netflix is extending a proven IP rather than building a new one, betting that viewers who tuned in for Elizabeth's reign will follow her family's earlier story.