Claire Foy, John Lithgow, Matt Smith Lead Cast Of ‘The Queen’ On Netflix

Netflix’s UK platform will soon distribute its biggest original series to date, and that series now has a suitably dynamic cast. Netflix has announced Claire Foy, John Lithgow, and Matt Smith as the three lead actors for The Queen, an upcoming drama about the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

Foy, who will portray the Queen at age 25 during the show’s first season, has experience with historical dramas. She appeared in BBC2’s Wolf Hall as Anne Boleyn. Smith, who will play the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, is best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who. Lithgow, ironically, is an American, but he will co-star as one of the most famous Brits in history: Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

It’s a great cast, but it’s also unlikely these actors will keep their roles for long. The plan is for each season to cover a decade of the Queen’s life, so the characters will at some point age out of their current performers.

No release date for The Queen has been announced, but the series will arrive on Netflix some time in 2016. The streaming video platform reportedly shelled out $170 million to acquire the series, so potential viewers should have high hopes. The top-notch cast will give those viewers faith that The Queen will live up to expectations.