It's remarkable how quickly things change in the media world. Back this spring, Netflix were throwing their weight around, making television studios scared by acquiring the rights to "House Of Cards," the forthcoming series from producers David Fincher and Kevin Spacey (with the latter also starring alongside Robin Wright). The DVD rental and streaming company outbid folks like AMC and HBO for the show, making for the first piece of original content to premiere on the service. Well, in the months that have intervened, Netflix has squandered their position, with an illadvised price hike and a decision to split their streaming and DVD portion of the business in two (which has since been canceled), leading to plummeting stock prices and an exodus of customers. To quote Rick Perry: "Oops." Well, if you're one of the 800,000 customers who have bounced from Netflix and still want to see "House Of Cards," not to worry.
Sony Pictures TV have snapped up the rights to "House Of Cards" and will air the show on a still to be determined network, once Netflix's window on the show runs out. An adaptation of a popular British book and TV series from the 1990s, the original series followed Francis Urquhart, a Conservative MP as he plotted, blackmailed and murdered his way to becoming Prime Minister. Two sequels, "To Play The King" and "The Final Cut," followed, which detailed Urquhart's rivalry with a new British King, and the unravelling of his career respectively. The show will be transposed to the U.S. with "Ides Of March" writer Beau Willimon leading the team developing and showrunning the effort. David Fincher will helm the pilot episode.
It's certainly very promising, but also likely a bit of a way off. Fincher still has wrap up his duties on "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and we imagine the earliest "House Of Cards" can shoot is in the spring of 2012. So perhaps some kind of fall premiere is possible, but we wouldn't be suprised if this slips into 2013 either. But certainly it's a project we're eagerly keeping an eye out, and for those of us without Netflix, at least we know there will be another opportunity to catch up with the show. [Variety]