Good news for those who think current TV shows stay on far past their welcome, or bad news for those who think “House Of Cards” still has yet to hit its peak, but, according to one person close to the series, the currently in production second season could very well be its last.
The surprising comments came from producer Rick Cleveland, speaking at the Vancouver International Film Festival last week. “ ‘House of Cards’ is only going to go a second season and I think that’s it,” he said (via Gold Derby). “Kevin Spacey likes to do movies and Robin Wright likes to do movies.” It’s certainly a surprising statement, especially when one considers “House Of Cards” has afforded both Spacey and Wright some of the best, most substantial material they’ve had in years, and as far as we can tell, neither seems to be too jammed up with developing films. (Though perhaps that’s a symptom of the “House Of Cards” schedule eating up their time?)
That being said, the contracts for everyone involved with the show are up after the second season, and the suggestion here is that there is some resistance to being tied to down a television schedule. That would also be a bummer to Netflix, who we can only imagine wants the original shows they’re helping to produce to build up to a critical mass of content that spurs subscribers to keep signing up and clicking. In any event, it will be interesting to see how it plays out, especially considering that the show is already attracting Emmy attention.
Out of nine nominations, it won three awards for its first season, including Best Director for a Drama Series for David Fincher. Again, it would seem odd to wind down a series that is already showing so much potential, particularly as plans are in place to give “House Of Cards” a stronger Emmy-push next year, with the second season reportedly planned to drop closer to the end of the eligibility window. Cleveland reveals some concern that the all-in-one-serving by Netflix didn’t allow for a longer-tail media presence, but “House Of Cards” got the industry recognition—and critical support—most shows, cable or internet, would kill to have.
Much more to come we’re sure. “House Of Cards” season 2 is now filming.