Frank Underwood isn’t going anywhere, ladies and gentleman. Netflix late this week announced that House of Cards, one of the streaming giant’s more popular original shows, was recently picked up for a fifth season. News of the renewal comes just a few weeks before the show’s fourth season is set to kick off on March 4.
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Season 5 of the show, however, will begin filming in 2017 without longtime showrunner and series creator Beau Willimon along for the ride. In a statement provided to Variety, Willimon said that his departure is simply a function of him looking to move on to other creative projects.
“I’m grateful to Netflix and MRC, my fellow executive producers, our two incandescent stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, our talented writers, as well as the incredible cast and crew with whom I’ve had the privilege to work,” Willimon said. “After five years and four seasons, it’s time for me to move on to new endeavors, but I’m supremely proud of what we’ve built together, wish the show much continued success, and leave it in the hands of a very capable team.”
In a separate statement issued to EW, Netflix praised Willimon’s work on the award-winning show. In fact, House of Cards arguably cemented the company’s reputation for being able to deliver compelling original content.
Netflix and [film and television studio] MRC owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Beau Willimon for his strong narrative vision for House of Cards over the show’s first four seasons. As an Academy Award-nominated writer, he made his first foray into television and built a riveting and critically acclaimed series, establishing his place in TV history. The producers, cast and crew join us in wishing Beau the best in his next creative adventure.
A replacement for Willimon hasn’t yet been named.
For those eagerly anticipating the upcoming premiere of season 4, Netflix released the following trailer just two weeks ago.
