'The Crown' Season 3 News: Olivia Colman Reveals She Will Begin Filming in July

Olivia Colman will officially begin filming "The Crown" season 3 this summer.

As previously announced, the hit royal drama will be featuring a different set of cast members for its third season. Colman has been tapped to play the older version of Elizabeth — a role played by Claire Foy in seasons 1 and 2.

Colman spoke with Radio Times last week and she confirmed that filming for season 3 will start soon. "I don't start until July so I know nothing about it yet apart from they said I could do it so I'm holding them to that," she explained.

With filming set to begun in July, the "Broadchurch" actress has formed a close relationship with Foy as she prepares for the big role. "They - the people, the grown ups - put us in touch so I could ask her about it and she was just lovely - she's one of the sweetest people ever and she's brilliant," Colman added.

In early January, it was revealed that Helena Bonham Carter was in talks to play Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret. The two-time Oscar nominee would replace Vanessa Kirby but there's still no word on whether she will be involved in the project.

Paul Bettany, on the other hand, was in line to replace Matt Smith as Prince Philip. The actor had bowed out of negotiations due to the massive time commitment required by "The Crown." The show is reportedly filming eight months in the U.K. and Bettany's schedule was too hectic due to his other projects. 

Bettany will be starring in two blockbuster films debuting in May, "Avengers: Infinity War " and "Solo: A Star Wars Story." It's currently unclear if Netflix has already found a replacement for Bettany as the older Prince Philip.

"The Crown" season 3 is expected to premiere later this year on Netflix. An exact release date has yet to be announced by the streaming platform.