​“House of Cards” was only the start in what is now a wave of big-budget, big-risk programming for Netflix, who is now throwing money at its new project, “The Crown.”

The historical drama, written by Peter Morgan (“Frost/Nixon,” “The Queen”), tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign through specific historical events. According to initial reports, the series could end up costing Netflix more than “House of Cards’” $100 million rights deal now that the streaming service can claim many more subscribers and a track record of successful originals. According to The Daily Mail, the budget could reach up to $170 million.

Netflix also now has a larger reach, with its recent announcement that it’s entering to France, Germany and four other European countries this year, so any exclusive rights will mean more once the service is available in these new markets. As a marketing tool, new original series that Netflix can claim sole access to is its best bet in gaining (and holding on to) subscribers.

According to The Daily Mail report, the series could use several actresses to play the Queen at various parts throughout her life, with a plan to premiere the show in 2016.

Read more at Tech Crunch and The Daily Mail.

Brief Take: Netflix’s high-cost content is a way to set itself apart from streaming competition like Amazon and Hulu, but one dud in its big-budget plan can mean pretty big setbacks for the content creator that got its start with “House of Cards.”

[Image courtesy of Netflix]

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