Netflix's 'The Crown' Season 5 Trailer Just Dropped & Here's Why Some Are Calling BS
Judi Dench calls the show "crude sensationalism."
Screenshots from Instagram.
The new trailer for the fifth season of the Netflix historical drama The Crown was released Thursday and there is already a lot of backlash over the show's upcoming season.
Dame Judi Dench and a former British prime minister have publicly accused the show of breaking from the truth of what's happened with the royal family, and Dench says a disclaimer should be added to the season.
Here's what's going on with The Crown controversy.
What is "The Crown" season 5 about?
The new season is set in the 1990s and will showcase a difficult period for the royal family, including Prince Charles' and Diana's separation, Princess Anne's divorce and a fire at Windsor Castle.
The fifth season of The Crown will air on Netflix on November 9.
Imelda Staunton will take over the role of Queen Elizabeth II from Olivia Coleman, Dominic West will play Prince Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki will play the role of Diana.
What is the backlash against "The Crown" season 5?
In a letter to The Times newspaper published on Wednesday, Dame Judi Dench accused the show of being "cruelly unjust."
"The closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism," she wrote.
The James Bond actress asked Netflix to add a disclaimer to the show out of respect for Queen Elizabeth II who ruled for 70 years.
Dench is not the only one who has slammed the Netflix royal drama.
Former British prime minister John Major recently blasted The Crown for showing a clip of King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, asking for Major's support to oust the Queen.
Major called it inaccurate and a "barrel-load of nonsense" in a statement to CNN.
“There was never any discussion between Sir John and the then Prince of Wales about any possible abdication of the late Queen Elizabeth II – nor was such an improbable and improper subject ever raised by the then Prince of Wales (or Sir John),” a spokesperson for Major said in the statement.
The statement also mentioned that Major was never approached by Netflix to fact-check the script for the series.
Has Netflix responded to the criticism?
CNN reports that Netflix has responded to Major's comments.
In a statement, the company reiterates that the show "has always been presented as a drama based on historical events."
Netflix also noted the new season is a "fictional dramatization, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family — one that has already been scrutinized and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians."
Is there any other drama related to the series?
According to The Irish Sun, there is also pushback from crew members who work on the show.
The publication notes it has to do with scenes surrounding Diana's death, which will air in the sixth season of the series.
A source reportedly told The Irish Sun that it was "very uncomfortable" going back to Paris and turning Diana's "final days and hours into a drama."
The publication says Netflix has confirmed the exact impact moment from the crash will not be shown.