"House of Cards" Season 5 is definitely making its way to television, but it seems that the end might be near for the Netflix's political drama. There are rumblings that the show will no longer go forward after the fifth season, as lead star Kevin Spacey is rumored to make his exit.
The production for "House of Cards" Season 5 has been relatively quiet about what to expect from the show in the future. The only thing that's going to change in the new season, however, is the absence of showrunner Beau Willimon, who announced his exit from the Netflix hit after four seasons.
"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," Variety quoted Willimon as saying. "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."
Willimon is responsible for adapting the drama from the original British material and bringing it to the American audience.
Aside from Willimon's exit, Spacey's busy schedule is seen as another possible reason for the show's shelf life to run dry. The award-winning actor is currently running Relativity Media with producing partner Dana Brunetti as they reassemble the company, following its bankruptcy in 2015.
Meanwhile, it is presumed that filming for "House of Cards" Season 5 will begin in the later part of this year. The Baltimore Sun had confirmed that the show is returning to Maryland for filming.
"In the economics of today's Hollywood, that's pretty much the first question that comes out of a producer's or a studio executive's mouth when they call Maryland: What are the film incentives?" said Jack Gerbes, director of Maryland's Film Office. Filming in Maryland is advantageous to the show, as it receives $2 million in film production tax credits alone.
Little has been divulged about the plot for "House of Cards" Season 5, but there's a theory that Spacey's Frank Underwood would be murdered or betrayed by one of his closest allies, including Michael Kelly's Dough Stamper.
"House of Cards" Season 5 is expected to be released in 2017.