House of Cards to return to screens without star Spacey
NETFLIX has said the final season of US political drama House of Cards will start production next year but will not star Kevin Spacey, who is facing a number of allegations of sexual misconduct.
“We have made an arrangement to produce six seasons of House of Cards,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said at a UBS media conference.
“It will be an eight-episode season. It will start production in early 2018 and it will not involve Kevin Spacey.”
Sarandos said the final season would star Robin Wright in the lead. She has co-starred with Spacey as his character Frank Underwood’s wife Claire in the last five seasons of the hit show.
Following allegations against Spacey, the streaming company suspended production of the upcoming sixth and final season of the show, in which Spacey plays a corrupt United States president, and said the series would be cancelled, but it appears to have had a rethink.
Spacey has apologised to Anthony Rapp, the actor who alleged he tried to seduce him in 1986 when Rapp was 14.
The star tweeted that he was “beyond horrified to hear [Rapp’s] story”, adding: “I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.”
Since then several men have come forward to allege Spacey behaved inappropriately – allegations the actor has denied. CNN reported that eight current or former House of Cards employees, who were not identified, alleged sexual misconduct against Spacey.
Sources had previously claimed that season six of the show was “almost entirely written” before Rapp came forward. It is now expected to be re-focused around Wright’s character.
Spacey’s representatives said in a brief statement released to the Hollywood Reporter on Nov 1 that Spacey “is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment”.
House Of Cards, inspired by a British mini-series, followed Democrat congressman Frank Underwood and his ruthless ambition to become president.
Killing off Spacey’s character would follow the precedent set in the original when the main character, Francis Urquhart, is shot dead by his bodyguard having been prime minister one day longer than Margaret Thatcher.
Spacey is one of several big names in the entertainment business to be accused of sexual misconduct by people coming forward in the wake of allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein.