Netflix orders third season of 'House of Cards'
With 10 days before the political thriller's second season goes online, Netflix orders a third round of its marquee original series.
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When you reach the inevitable cliffhanger of "House of Cards" second season, maybe a dozen or so hours after all the episodes go up, rest assured the series is coming back for a third round.
Netflix said it is renewing the original series for a third season, according to Deadline. A Netflix spokesman could provide no further details, but Beau Willimon, who adapted the UK version of "House of Cards" to be set in the US, tweeted that new scripts have been in the works for a month:
Hey @HouseofCards fans, we're definitely having a 3rd Season! In fact, we started writing it a month ago! @Netflix http://t.co/ye6KpkdelI
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) February 4, 2014"House of Cards" has been the shining star of Netflix's pursuit of becoming the Internet's HBO. For the streaming service, the show has garnered wide critical acclaim, numerous awards and nominations, and vaulted its reputation in Hollywood to the same tier as the premium cable networks it's emulating.
Netflix doesn't disclose how many people watch "House of Cards" or any of its originals.
News of the renewal comes just 10 days before the second season of "House of Cards" is set to premiere. Though it may seem confident for Netflix to order another season before the public has seen the second, Netflix committed to two seasons of "House of Cards" at the very outset. The company paid a reported $100 million to be the exclusive distributor of 26 episodes "House of Cards," while independent studio Media Rights Capital, a production house behind the program, originally purchased the rights to turn the original, British incarnation into a Washington-set story.
Netflix also ordered a second season of "Orange Is the New Black" -- its prison dramedy "with a strong female lead" -- before the series debuted.
Originals like "House of Cards" are a key facet of Netflix's strategy to shift from its DVD-delivery origins to the self-proclaimed leading Internet television network, while also taking greater control of costs and rights for streaming content.
More recently, the company has expanded beyond hour-long dramas and half-hour comedies, like "Arrested Development," with documentary films and stand-up comedian features and historical dramas with an international bent.
Update, 1:15 p.m. PT: Added that a Netflix spokesman could provide no further details.