Netflix just announced that it has acquired House of Cards, a political thriller drama series from executive producer/director David Fincher starring Kevin Spacey, which will be distributed exclusively via the company’s Internet subscription service. This marks Netflix’s first foray into original programming.
Netflix, which has more than 20 million subscribers at the moment, has committed to 26 episodes of the drama, which is being produced by Media Rights Capital. Its premiere is scheduled for almost two years from now, in late 2012. Over the next year, the show will work on the 13 scripts for its first season. Fincher, who is now busy directing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, will direct the first episode of House of Cards next spring. That episode will then be evaluated like a pilot, and adjustments will be made if needed before production on the remaining episodes commences. In the next 3-6 months, MRC is expected to assemble a team to support the big production. More from Netflix’s release:
A satirical tale of power, corruption and lies, “House of Cards” is based on the book and acclaimed BBC mini-series of the same name. “The gripping, serialized one hour drama has become a very important part of the Netflix experience,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “David Fincher’s unique vision, the indelible performances of Kevin Spacey and the original version of “House of Cards,” all have a big following among our members, giving the series a very good chance of becoming a fan favorite.”
Originally written as a novel by former U.K. Conservative Party Chief of Staff Michael Dobbs, “House of Cards” explores the ruthless underside of British politics at the end of the Thatcher era. Reset against the backdrop of modern-day U.S. electoral politics, the new one-hour drama follows an ambitious politician (Spacey) with his eye on the top job.
Scripts for 13 episodes will be delivered before production on the “House of Cards” pilot begins in the spring of 2012. Production on subsequent episodes of “House of Cards” will commence several months later, allowing producers time to carefully develop the series.
Media Rights Capital’s “House of Cards” stars Kevin Spacey (Casino Jack) and was developed by Beau Willimon (The Ides of March). David Fincher (The Social Network), Josh Donen (Spartacus: Blood and Sand), Academy Award-winner Eric Roth (Forrest Gump ), along with Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti of Trigger Street Productions (The Social Network) are Executive Producers for the series. Emmy Award-winner Andrew Davies and Michael Dobbs, who produced the original BBC series, also serve as Executive Producers, with Willimon as Co-Executive Producer. The “House of Cards” pilot is written by Willimon and will be directed by Fincher.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
I’ll take any more areas developing original, scripted content as a win.
Track the career of MRC’s CEO, Modi Wiczyk – comes out here from Harvard B school, writes a memo that circulates throughout the upper echelons of Hollywood regarding the future of the business and potential marginalization of the studio system as we knew it back then. A brief stint at Summit before VP at Universal. Then Endeavor – where he became one of the most profitable agents in the building. Ari made him partner within the first year. And soon, MRC was formed. They took some early lumps but now, the guy is making good on his memo points; namely, reshaping the way business gets done in this town. I know you Deadline commenters will have all kinds of hateful things to say, including naming some of MRC’s misses. But keep this in mind: every studio that has ever taken shape has had their early misses. MRC’s early days are now behind them. Prediction: that company becomes a full-fledged studio/distribution entity by 2013.
Care to explain this memo in further detail?
yes, lets remember, this is the man behind The Life and Times of Tim after all. Clearly, he cannot be dismissed!
I wonder if you can be dismissed? Only you in your anonymity can truly tell.
EXCITED. Huge Spacey fan.
Stunning. Must suck to work at one of the losing bidders this morning.
I agree with the previous poster, if this creates another outlet for top material then it’s a very good thing indeed. It remains to be seen what kind of cultural impact it will have being shown on Netflix, but perhaps this will be their Mad Men. I hope so, the network product seems so completely stale lately.
I hope they lobby the Hollywood Foreign Press to figure out a way to include it in Golden Globe consideration. Would go a LONG way to helping legitimize Netflix as a distribution vehicle for original content.
Anyone who takes on the overpriced dinosaur that is cable TV is winning. And bi-winning, if it’s a quality series.
Incorrect 2011. Ive heard the only reason it went to netflix was because the pther companies were like “hell no, we’re not commiting to a first season of this show before we see a finished pilot” and the only reason MRC went with netflix was because they offered one MORE season than they were asking for. This just stinks of hype. If this show ever sees the light of day itll be a miracle. Best of luck to them tho. If it was a hit it’d surely change the landscape of the tv biz.
CAN. NOT. WAIT!
The original was chilling enough. Now add 2 of the biggest intellectually creative snakes in the business who have made slithering an art form & this f***er is going to rip the skin off!
Think the last scene in “7″ as an entire miniseries!
Netflix took down Blockbuster. The Networks better watch out!!!
This is great but my real problem with this? The delivery. I stream Netflix content all the time, it’s fine and convenient. But the picture will occasionally hang, it artifacts, drags in places. Fincher paints beautiful images that I just don’t see streaming content able to keep up with or do justice to. It’s going to be hard to step down from 1080 regardless of the content. Watching “Walking Dead” on standard-def on AMC is a near-miserable experience.
Agree — why AMC has not gone HD is inexplicable with the quality of the shows.
This is a good point. I think the idea will be for Netflix to improve their delivery system and offer a premium service with HD content attached to their original programming. I’d bet this has come up in their preliminary dialog with the HOC creative team.
As long as Netflix doesn’t improve the delivery system that Joe Hipps uses for pizza.
Wally – your quiznos comment was much better. Not your strongest work.
True, I was rushed. Congrats, Hipps, on changing television history!
Will the USA series include the classic line from the original UK series:
“You might think that. I couldn’t possibly comment.”