We are still awaiting season four of Netflix's political drama House of Cards, but it's good news for fans of the show today as the streaming service have decided to renew it for a fifth season.
However the bad news is that showrunner Beau Williimon, who has been with the series since the beginning, will be saying his goodbyes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Willimon will be moving on to focus on an original play he is writing, while it is as of yet unclear who will replace him.
Netflix said in a statement; "Prior to its fourth-season premiere, Netflix and [producers] Media Rights Capital are thrilled to announce that House of Cards will return for a fifth season in 2017. Concurrent with the renewal, creator and showrunner Beau Willimon is departing the critically acclaimed series.
"Netflix and MRC owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Beau Willimon for his strong narrative vision for House of Cards over the show’s first four seasons. As an Academy Award-nominated writer, he made his first foray into television and built a riveting and critically acclaimed series, establishing his place in TV history. The producers, cast and crew join us in wishing Beau the best in his next creative adventure."
Willimon also added; "I'm grateful to Netflix and MRC, my fellow executive producers, our two incandescent stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, our talented writers, as well as the incredible cast and crew with whom I've had the privilege to work. After five years and four seasons, it's time for me to move on to new endeavors, but I'm supremely proud of what we've built together, wish the show much continued success, and leave it in the hands of a very capable team."
Here's hoping they find an equally talented replacement, although season three of House of Cards didn't quite set the world alight, but we reckon Beau will pull it out of the bag for his fourth and final season.
Season four of House of Cards will premiere on on March 4th.