Margaret Thatcher to replace The Crown: Big budget biopic by TV team behind Poldark is set to fill void left by the concluding Netflix drama

A major new biopic of Margaret Thatcher is in the works that could fill the hole for fans of The Crown, which is due to end this month.

The big-budget series is yet to start filming but could appear on TV screens on the BBC or ITV, the Sun reports.

The series, titled Thatcher, is being made by the same team behind hit-series Poldark and Victoria.

It is understood that filming is set to begin next year, once casting has taken place.

The controversial former Prime Minister was the first female UK PM, and held the role from 1979 to 1990. 

A major new biopic of Margaret Thatcher (pictured) is in the works that could fill the hole for fans of The Crown

A major new biopic of Margaret Thatcher (pictured) is in the works that could fill the hole for fans of The Crown

Meryl Streep played Thatcher in film The Iron Lady, which premiered in 2011

Meryl Streep played Thatcher in film The Iron Lady, which premiered in 2011

She famously oversaw the Falklands War and held a hard line during the miners' strikes - both events which are sure to be shown in any new series. 

A source told the Sun: 'This is destined to be a particularly glossy show which already has acclaimed creatives attached.

Thatcher died on 8 April 2013 at The Ritz Hotel in London, after suffering a stroke. 

'The Crown showed a real fascination among viewers with statecraft — the management of public affairs — in which Maggie was an expert.

'It devoted an entire series to the Thatcher years, with Gillian Anderson playing the PM, and they turned out to be some of its most popular episodes.'

The firm behind the new creation, Mammoth Screens, has previously produced other dramas such as Endeavour and Vanity Fair.

It is currently unknown who is in the running to play Thatcher.

The Crown's Thatcher was played by Gillian Anderson, with the Thatcher years being some of the most popular episodes

The Crown's Thatcher was played by Gillian Anderson, with the Thatcher years being some of the most popular episodes

The former PM was most famously portrayed by Meryl Streep in blockbuster The Iron Lady in 2011.

She was played by Gillian Anderson in The Crown, with Lesley Manville, Greta Scacchi and Lindsay Duncan also previously taking on the challenge.  

The new series could be a huge hit among The Crown fans, although it is thought the popular Netflix show could return in some form in the future.