Netflix has announced its future plans for its first original series, House of Cards. Following sexual assault allegations against the show’s star, Kevin Spacey, the future of the sixth season was uncertain. But Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos has now confirmed details of how it will all wrap up.
Screenshot: Netflix
In November, Netflix said it wouldn’t distribute House of Cards if Spacey continued to be part of the sixth season. Now Spacey is officially out, and the show’s producers, Media Rights Capital, have apparently figured out a way to move forward with a season centred on Robin Wright’s character.
According to Variety, Sarandos announced the news at UBS’s Global Media and Communications Conference in New York. The show’s production hiatus will extend into the new year; it will resume with an eight-episode season sometime in early 2018. Gizmodo has confirmed those details with a person at the company who has knowledge of the schedule.
As more and more alleged sexual assault victims have come forward to confront powerful men in Hollywood, Netflix has had to scramble to decide what to do with some of its original content. In addition to Kevin Spacey, the streaming service has cut ties with Louis C.K. following a New York Times investigation into sexual misconduct that he admitted was true. But the company has not yet taken any action in the case of Danny Masterson. The actor stars in the Netflix sitcom The Ranch, along with Ashton Kutcher. Four women have accused Masterson of raping them in the early 2000s and law enforcement is investigating the incidents.
On Monday, The Huffington Post reported that Andy Yeatman, Netflix’s director of global kids content, didn’t realise he was speaking with one of Masterson’s alleged victims when he told her that “higher-ups at the company don’t believe the four women who have accused Masterson of violent rape”.
The woman claims that she was speaking with Yeatman on the sidelines of a soccer game that their respective children were playing in when she asked why Netflix has been reluctant to distance itself from Masterson. Referring to the actor’s accusers, Yeatman reportedly told her, “we don’t believe them.” To which she replied, “I’m one of them.”
When reached for comment, a Netflix spokesperson referred us to a company statement supplied to The Huffington Post. It reads:
While he was coaching a youth soccer match today, Mr. Yeatman ― a Netflix kids’ programming executive ― was approached by a stranger who did not identify herself or explain her connection to Danny Masterson…
Mr. Yeatman’s comments were careless, uninformed and do not represent the views of the company. Further, he would have no insights into decision making on The Ranch. We are aware of the allegations against Danny Masterson and we are following the current investigation, and will respond if developments occur.
When the accuser told Yeatman that “Netflix is going to regret this, this is a mistake, they’re going to see,” he reportedly said, “we’ll see.” Netflix denied that he said that.