With another week gone by, there have been a whole host of exciting updates and announcements from the world of television! Here, we've collected five of the biggest news stories so you can catch up on what’s been going on…
The Crown will end with its sixth season
Netflix original series The Crown, loosely based on the goings on of the British monarchy and Royal Family members, will be coming to a close with its sixth season, according to the show’s creator.
Originally planning to bring the series to a close after six outings, executive producer Suzanne Mackie says showrunner Peter Morgan's plans have not changed.
Mackie explained to Broadcast: “Peter has said it very articulately, that he simply can't write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective. I think he's always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don't think he'll deviate from that.
“We all know these stories, but what Peter does so brilliantly is get underneath that and understand the landscape in a more nuanced, complex, surprising way.”
David Harbour teases Hopper’s future in Stranger Things
Another hit Netflix show is the brilliantly-twisty Stranger Things and, if you’re up-to-date with the series, you’ll be wondering exactly what happened to Sheriff Hopper - played by David Harbour - following the dramatic conclusion of the third season.
Speaking with SiriusXM, Harbour explained that Hopper's story is one that has been in the front of everybody's mind working on the show since the very beginning. Now, with a resurrection of sorts on the card, there could be something “profound” right around the corner.
Harbour said: “I mean, you know, from the very start of this show, I’ve talked to them about the arc of this guy and sort of what would be, and they’ve talked to me about him, and what would be really profound and moving. And we’re starting to set up things this season in particular that are going to pay off very much in terms of that arc construction.
“I mean, one of the things was the resurrection of this life that he had in terms of fathering, fathering Eleven and revisiting that. And he has to be resurrected now to sort of create something new. And so we have this false death and this resurrection, and now we’ll see, but they do have a plan and it’s very exciting.”
Sean Astin expects “amazing” Lord of the Rings Amazon series
Despite being a member of the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Sean Astin isn’t annoyed or concerned that the franchise is making a comeback as an Amazon Prime Video original series. In fact, he’s excited to see what could be in-store.
Speaking with ComingSoon, the actor said: “If they're digging a lot into The Silmarillion, it might be new information to me. I have not quite made it through The Silmarillion.
“I’ve always been a big one to support sequels and remakes and particularly of classics. A lot of people think, why would you want to remake a classic? The good news is the classic will always remain. So maybe somebody will do something interesting, and if it stinks, don’t watch it. But I have every expectation that this Lord of the Rings adaptation is going to be amazing.
“It’s been a long time in the making, really talented people working on it, and it only helps people remember 20 years ago when we brought out our version of Lord of the Rings.”
The Last of Us episode count confirmed
Following on from the huge success of the video game and its controversial follow-up, it was only a matter of time before fans received news that The Last of Us would be making its way to television, via HBO.
Exactly how much of the in-game story will be explored in the first season of the show is yet to be revealed, but we’re now starting to learn some more details about what to expect when it does eventually come around.
Writer and executive producer Craig Mazin revealed during his time on the Scriptnotes podcast, that there will be 10 episodes in the show's first season, with three to four scripts already completed and, five directors confirmed across the 10 episodes.
Loki director hopes character’s bisexuality explored in future
Let’s face it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t exactly been a massive beacon of equality when it comes to showcasing different sexualities and identities over the past decade or so. You’d be hard-pressed to come up with a handful of examples.
So, when it was confirmed that Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief Loki was indeed bisexual, thanks to a subtle scene in the Disney+ original series Loki, it lit a fire in the hearts of the LGBTQ+ community who are fans of the character.
Speaking with Collider, the show's director Kate Herron said: "I don't know plans for the future with Loki — I'm so focused on this story. But I would say that part of my thinking was, well, if it's canon and it's acknowledged, then yeah I hope there's obviously more road to travel with that aspect of his personality. And I hope it has opened the door to more stories, definitely."
RELATED: All of the movie news you need to read about this week
Tagged in Marvel Disney Netflix Lord of the Rings The Crown Stranger Things