The sexual allegations against House of Cards star Kevin Spacey saw Netflix jump into action in announcing that the show would be coming to an end at the end of season six. They have made it clear that the decision to end the show had been made months before the allegations were made public.
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The show has been the streaming service’s major success drawing in audiences worldwide so what better way to keep that momentum going than to create a whole host of spin-offs from the show that will all exist within the same universe as House of Cards. It will build on the world of Frank Underwood, a devious congressman played by Kevin Spacey who ascends to the role of President of the United States through political and criminal machinations.
Netflix, alongside the production company Media Rights Captial, are at the very early stages of development of the spin-offs with a number of ideas being bandied around the board table. One idea is said to involve Doug Stamper, the political aide-de-camp played by actor Michael Kelly in the first five seasons of the political drama, with Eric Roth set to write. Two more ideas are also being played with but no writers for these have yet joined the team.
An adaptation of the BBC’s miniseries of the same name and is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs, House of Cards has been nominated for a staggering 53 Primetime Emmy Awards — including five nominations for outstanding drama series since it first premiered in 2013.
With production well under way for season 6, Spacey’s character might not be actually appearing the sixth season, with his character’s health an issue throughout the five previous seasons of the show and the actor currently in the middle of shooting a Gore Vidal biopic.
The final ‘House of Cards’ episodes are in production, with a release date yet to be announced.
