Helena Bonham Carter Reveals 'The Crown' Season 3 Details & She's Royally Ready
At this point, we finally know who the key players of Season 3 of The Crown are, but we still have a bit of wait until any particularly specific details about the new episodes leak. After playing coy about her involvement with the show for what felt like forever, Helena Bonham Carter is officially confirmed to play the next rendition of Princess Margaret, and she's ready for the challenge. Helena Bonham Carter revealed The Crown Season 3 details, and I'm so ready for her tirades as the fierce Margaret.
Although Bonham Carter's new role was essentially confirmed in January via an Instagram photo with the original Margaret, Vanessa Kirby, it took until this May for Netflix to officially announce her casting. Bonham Carter joins Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II and Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip for Seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown, but the new actor playing Margaret's fiery other half, Antony Armstrong-Jones, has yet to be announced. At the time of Netflix's confirmation, Bonham Carter said in a statement:
I’m not sure which I’m more terrified about — doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby’s Princess Margaret. The only thing I can guarantee is that I’ll be shorter [than Vanessa].
What with the real royal family's lives finally calming down after the arrival of Prince Louis and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding, Bonham Carter has now spilled some dirt about the upcoming season of The Crown to give us our monarchy fix. She said at New York's Ocean's 8 premiere:
I’ve definitely started prepping. It’s exciting. We start in a few weeks, and I think we’re all — we’re completely terrified. I think also because the first two seasons were such a success, we have the onus of inheriting the responsibility of doing justice to all these genuinely famous people, and then on top of it, inheriting them from this previous generation of actors who’ve done such good jobs.
It still may be a vague scoop, but Bonham Carter revealing that filming starts soon definitely puts me on the lookout for any other Season 3 casting news. Will Hot Neville Longbottom play Prince Charles? Will we really see a glimpse of a young Princess Diana in Season 3? Feel free to share more, Helena!
Although I definitely see a slight resemblance between Colman and the original Queen, Claire Foy, Bonham Carter also talked about the show's pattern of not casting people just for physical similarities. She shared:
None of us look at all like our previous generation. We don’t actually look like our real people either. I don’t look like Margaret. I don’t think Olivia looks particularly like the Queen, but it’s interesting. We just have to try and create some sort of essence. The good thing is that all the characters are so multifaceted, so we will probably capture different bits,
According to Variety, the third season of The Crown will take place from 1964 to 1976, seemingly ending right around the supposed time of Charles and Diana's first meeting. Producers seem to have given varying answers about Season 3's likelihood of including Diana, and while this storyline will be worth the wait, the season's timeline does promise opportunities for Bonham Carter to shine as Margaret.
Season 2 ended with the births of Elizabeth's last child and Margaret and Antony's second child, which marks a turning point in the real-life figures' marriage. The late 1960s and '70s consisted of both Margaret and Antony having affairs until they finally separated in 1976. Could Season 3 end with their explosive demise?
The couple's divorce wasn't announced until 1978, which Season 4 will likely address soon after its start. Although Margaret and Antony's split was the first in the royal family since King Henry VIII's last divorce in 1540, the move seemingly began a trend for the following generation. Three of the Queen's four children saw their first marriages end in divorce. Ironic, huh?
After watching Kirby's incredible performance as Margaret in Season 2, I'm hoping for her to receive some love at the Emmys. If that recognition doesn't play out for Kirby, I'm sure Bonham Carter will see her name on a list of nominees in a year or two.
Season 3 of The Crown will reportedly debut on Netflix in 2019.
