Remember the BBC’s House of Cards? Here’s the US remake

Remember the marvellous BBC series House of Cards, starring Ian Richardson as machiavellian British politician Francis Urquahart? If you don’t, here are some of the best bits:

Well, Netflix – yes, the streaming movie and TV service – is remaking it, this time setting it in the US. Before you sarcastically suggest that the average web series has the budget of the average local theatre production and a cast to match, allow me to disagree. Netflix has invested no less than $100 million in the project and has commissioned two seasons of 13 episodes. It’s also got David Fincher directing and the cast includes Kevin Spacey (as ‘Frank Underwood’), Robin Wright and Kate Mara.

Here’s a trailer. The entire first season will be available worldwide from February 1 next year. They’ve maintained the commentary to camera, I note, but will the famous phrase “You might very well think that – I couldn’t possibly comment” make it into the production? We might have to wait and see on that.

What do you think? Is it good enough to make you want to take out a free trial to Netflix at least?

Wednesday’s “RDM to adapt Outlander books, Hilary Swank in Richard Curtis BBC movie and Andrew Stanton gets a job” news

Film

UK TV

  • Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethyn to star in Richard Curtis’ malaria drama Mary and Martha

US TV

New US TV shows

Monday’s “Guest stars, Anger Management and King of Soho name change” news

Film

Trailers

Canadian TV

  • Claudia Black to guest on Haven
  • Continuum‘s Lexa Doig and Eureka‘s Colin Ferguson to guest on Primeval: New World
  • Fiona Conway to be CBC executive director of programming

UK TV

US TV

New US TV shows

Friday’s “Bones renewed, ITV2 orders witches, CBC cuts, S4C to go Danish and Eddie Murphy in Twins sequel?” news

Film

Trailers

  • Trailer for Alex Kurtzman’s People Like Us, with Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks
  • Trailer for House at the End of the Street with Jennifer Lawrence

Canadian TV

UK TV

  • Jeremy Piven confirmed for, Katherine Kelly joins Mr Selfridge
  • ITV2 orders Switch, starring Lacey Turner as one of four witches, from Being Human makers
  • S4C to emulate Denmark and create worldwide programming [subscription required]
  • BBC1 Daytime commissions modern day Nicholas Nickleby [subscription required]

US TV

US TV pilots

Monday’s “Grimm renewed, the BBC’s sci-fi comedy pilots and Matthew Rhys is an American” news

Film

UK TV

  • Hollyoaks‘s Gerard McCarthy joins The Fall
  • Johnny Vegas starring in BBC3’s UFO sitcom A Saucer Full of Secrets, BBC planning alien invasion comedy V Sign

US TV

US TV pilots