House of Cards Season 5 readies its May return with an ominous trailer showing Frank Underwood at his darkest.
Recall how way back when, during our most cynical moments, the thought of Frank Underwood as President of the United States seemed like the most ridiculous thing imaginable? Oh, how naive we were once upon a time!
Almost miraculously, and to the benefit of the viewers (if not their country), Frank Underwood is in business and doing fine with House of Cards season 5. Well, at least he is still in his business of choice, which is power. And given the shake-ups behind the scenes, he will continue to be so for some time of come, despite the ominous title of the show.
House of Cards Season 5 imminently arrives with a new showrunner and President Frank Underwood's sinister machinations coming to frightening fruition.
House of Cards Season 5 Trailer
The House of Cards Season 5 trailer has arrived! While the series has been showcasing the deadly, social-climbing arc of Frank Underwood from lowly South Carolinian House Majority Whip to Vice-President to inheritor President, the Season 5 trailer shows the maestro of political manipulation fully unleashed in a frightening way. Frank's trailer tagline, "The American people don't know what's best for them.... I do," is supplemented by scenes showing him delving even deeper into his indulgences and outright declaring his intention to continue his misbegotten leadership pretty much in perpetuity. Indeed, Frank's coined catchphrase, "One nation, Underwood" has become demonstrably literal.
House of Cards Season 5 Release Date
House of Cards picked Inauguration Day to drop the official release date for season five.
Frank Underwood will return on May 30th, 2017. Netflix announced the release date in a video teaser:
The most recent Netflix shareholder letter indicated House of Cards was being moved from a Q1 series to a Q2 series. Traditionally, House of Cards has premiered in February, which is smack in the middle of any year's first quarter. However, due to likely trying to spread original content across the fiscal year (which is projected now to rise in 2017 as compared to 2016), the series is moving to Q2, placing its premiere date in late May.
House of Cards Cancellation Rumors False
This is less news and more just some common sense: House of Cards season 5 is not being cancelled, despite what the far-right rumor mill is currently suggesting. It is true that Beau Willimon left the series... back in January 2016 when a fifth season was ordered by Netflix. While Willimon has put his career in entertainment on the backburner to start a political action committee against then-President-Elect Donald Trump, he did that months after exiting House of Cards under acrimonious tension. His own political seriousness does not mean Netflix is closing up shop of one of its most popular shows, which already has a fifth season in the can.
House of Cards Season 5 Casting
The first bit of definitive news we’ve had about the fifth season is new faces that will likely bedevil and amuse Frank endlessly for episodes to come. For THR reports that Patricia Clarkson and Campbell Scott have been cast in the new season. Details are being kept under wraps, but Clarkson certainly has the makings of a great Underwood adversary, with the prestige that comes with an Oscar nomination (Pieces of April) and appearing in films like Good Night, and Good Luck and Shutter Island. Meanwhile, Scott is best known for his role on Royal Pains, as well as playing Peter Parker’s father in The Amazing Spider-Man films.
House of Cards Season 5 Showrunners
The biggest shakeup about season 5 is that the series is changing showrunners. Indeed, Beau Willimon, who created and ran the first four seasons of House of Cards revealed that he was stepping away from the series back in January, over a month before season 4 even aired. This might explain why a series that seemed to previously be building toward Frank and Claire Underwoods’ downfall now instead appears to be about their continued survival. Still, senior writers Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese are stepping up to be co-showrunners for season 5.
Gibson and Pugliese joined the series as writers in season 3. Gibson previously wrote for episodes of The Americans and Pugliese most notably wrote for the European version of Borgia, as well as the English series Copper.
House of Cards Season 5 Story
Currently, much like the release date, Netflix is keeping us primarily in the dark about House of Cards season 5. However, we do know thanks to Michael Kelly, who plays Doug Stamper, the trusted Underwood aide and lackey, that we may be saying goodbye to some beloved characters in season 5.
Says Kelly to Deadline, “You lose characters that you love. We almost lost Frank, and I always have faith in the writers that no matter what road we go down, we’re going to come back to what the show is.”