Netflix and production company MRC has suspended production on House of Cards season 6, amid allegations of unwanted sexual advances leveled against star Kevin Spacey. House of Cards is a landmark series for Netflix, the international streaming giant that kicked off its massive slate of original series with the production of the Washington, DC-based TV show in 2013 with an hour-long, 13 episode format.
House of Cards found immediate success, and broke new ground with Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress for Spacey and Robin Wright, respectively. The series is based around the dirty exploits of Spacey's career politician Frances Underwood, whose cut-throat ambitions have led him to ascend from a U.S. senator on the series to Vice President and eventually, President.
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With production for season 6 of House of Cards underway, Netflix was rocked Sunday with allegations of unwanted sexual advances against Spacey, involving then-14-year-old stage and film actor Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery). Netflix responded by saying House of Cards would finish production on season 6 and that the upcoming season would be its last. Now, per Deadline, Netflix has alerted the cast and crew working on the show that production has been indefinitely halted. The company, along with MRC, also issued a statement, saying:
“MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on House of Cards season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew.”
For those who missed it, Spacey issued the following (and highly-controversial) statement, as part of his official response to the allegations made by Rapp:
"I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago.But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years."
News of the work-stoppage arrives less than 24 hours after Netflix and MRC issued a joint statement saying, “Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey.” Series creator Beau Willimon echoed those sentiments in a separate statement, calling the allegations "deeply troubling."
Deadline says that the show was in production in Baltimore, Maryland. Like previous seasons of the series, House of Cards season 6 was set to feature 13 episodes. The outlet says it's unclear how the halt of production will affect the series' previously-scheduled mid-2018 premiere.
NEXT: House of Cards Spinoffs In Development At Netflix
Screen Rant will provide additional House of Cards updates as they become available.
Source: Deadline