'The Crown' Season 3 Premiere Date, Spoilers: Hugh Laurie to Take on Prince Philip, Says Report

By Ela Teodosio, Christian Post Contributor Thursday, March 15, 2018

A report says Hugh Laurie will replace Matt Smith as Prince Philip in the third and fourth seasons of "The Crown."

Creators of the series earlier revealed that the entire cast of "The Crown" will be changed as it takes on a huge jump in the timeline. Olivia Colman will take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II from Claire Foy. As of January, "Harry Potter" star Helena Bonham Carter was "all but confirmed" to join as Princess Margaret. The role was previously played by Vanessa Kirby.

There have been a number of speculations on who will take over Prince Philip from Smith. Among the top choices was Paul Bettany. However, The Hollywood Reporter wrote in late January that his negotiations with Netflix did not push through due to a conflict in schedule.

Now the Daily Mail is reporting that "House" star Laurie will be play the middle-aged prince. According to the media outlet, series creator Peter Morgan is "very keen" on the possibility of Laurie playing the role of Prince Philip.

If this pushes through, Laurie will once again be starring with Colman after the successful BBC mini-series "The Night Manager."

According to a source, other actors have been considered for the role, but the producers see the 58-year-old Laurie as the "perfect choice."

"Hugh's name has been swirling around for a long while now and it hasn't yet stopped – he is the sort of big name that would draw in viewers," the insider added. "He and Olivia were formidable on 'The Night Manager' and bosses of 'The Crown' would love to recreate that."

Makers of "The Crown" have yet to confirm the report.

No matter who officially gets the role though, he will not be paid as much as Colman. It was previously revealed that Foy received a significantly lower pay from Smith, despite the Queen having more airtime. After that though, producer Suzanne Mackie announced that, "Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen."

"The Crown" has yet to get a season 3 order from Netflix, but is reportedly already in production. It is not expected to air until 2019.