Season four of House of Cards is set to debut on March 4, 2016, but series creator and showrunner Beau Willimon will not be returning for another season, Vulture has learned. The Netflix show, which debuted in 2013 and was the streaming network’s first original series, has been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys for all three of its seasons. In 2015, series star Kevin Spacey won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of soliloquy enthusiast Frank Underwood. Netflix announced they’re moving forward with a fifth season without Willimon, a network representative wrote in a statement:
“Prior to its fourth season premiere, Netflix and MRC are thrilled to announce that House of Cards will return for a fifth season in 2017. Concurrent with the renewal, creator and showrunner Beau Willimon is departing the critically acclaimed series. Netflix and MRC owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Beau Willimon for his strong narrative vision for House of Cards over the show’s first four seasons. As an Academy Award nominated writer, he made his first foray into television and built a riveting and critically acclaimed series, establishing his place in TV history. The producers, cast and crew join us in wishing Beau the best in his next creative adventure.”
Willimon commented on his exit in a statement:
“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. 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, wish the show much continued success, and leave it in the hands of a very capable team.”
