Netflix will move ahead with the sixth and final season of House of Cards but without the show's leading man Kevin Spacey. Robin Wright will instead become the new lead character, Claire Underwood.
Work on the Primetime Emmy Award-winning political thriller was temporarily shut down weeks ago following a string of historic sexual misconduct allegations made against Spacey by Star Trek: Discovery Anthony Rapp and others.
On Monday (December 4), Netflix boss Ted Sarandos announced at UBS's Global Media and Communications Conference in New York that a deal had been reached with production company Media Rights Capital to finish work on the final season.
"We were really excited we could get to an agreement… for the conclusion of the show," Sarandos told those in attendance at the conference.
The final eight episodes will bring back Wright as Claire Underwood, although it remains unclear how House of Cards' creative team plan to write out Spacey's President Frank Underwood. Production will resume in 2018.
Netflix and MRC announced a production hiatus in October when Spacey was accused by eight current and former House of Cards workers of on-set harassment.
"We continue to collaborate with MRC and other production partners to maintain a safe and respectful working environment," a Netflix spokesperson said at the time. "We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the production, and have nothing further to share at this time."
Spacey has also been completely edited out of Sir Ridley Scott's upcoming awards season contender All the Money in the World, replaced in the role of mogul J Paul Getty by Christopher Plummer. Watch a newly-released trailer below:
A spokesperson for the star said in November that Spacey is currently seeking "evaluation and treatment" away from the spotlight.
