Netflix Is Making a Juicy New Drama About Queen Elizabeth

Netflix's most expensive drama ever looks like it will fill the emotional void left by Downton Abbey. The Crown, a one-hour drama, focuses on the life of none other than Queen Elizabeth.

"The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world—Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street—and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century," a Netflix synopsis reads. "Two houses, two courts, one Crown."

Each season will cover a decade of Queen Elizabeth's life, touching on both her political and personal life. The first season, which will run for 10 episodes, focuses on a younger Elizabeth, "a 25-year-old princess faced with the daunting prospect of leading the most famous monarchy in the world while forging a relationship with the domineering, war-hardened Prime Minister Winston Churchill," Netflix says. Claire Foy, who played Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall, plays Elizabeth, Matt Smith of Doctor Who fame plays Prince Philip, and John Lithgow plays Churchill. It's unclear whether they'll stick around in later seasons as their characters age.

The Telegraph reports that Netflix is forking over £100 million ($156 million) on the show, making it the site's most expensive drama yet. The show recently filmed a royal wedding scene at Ely Cathedral, a stand-in for Westminster Abbey. 

The show runner is Peter Morgan, who was behind the biopic The Queen, and it's directed by Stephen Daldry, who also directed Billy Elliot. It will premiere sometime in 2016, which is definitely not soon enough.