'House of Cards' Season 6 News: Diane Lane, Greg Kinnear Join Cast; Production Resumes

By Denise See, Christian Post Contributor Friday, February 02, 2018

Production on the sixth and final season of "House of Cards" has started back up.

According to Deadline, filming only recently resumed, but not without two new additions to the cast. Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear have been tapped to play siblings in the upcoming final season of the Netflix original series. However, more specific character details are being kept under wraps for now.

It can be recalled that Netflix suspended production on "House of Cards" after sexual abuse allegations against its star, Kevin Spacey, surfaced. Spacey was then fired from the show, and his character, Frank Underwood, will no longer be in the sixth season. Robin Wright, who plays his equally cunning wife, Claire Underwood, will now lead the show.

Production was initially expected to pick back up in early December, but it looks like it took them a while in order to sort everything out. Netflix originally gave the show a 13-episode order, but that number has now been reduced to eight. Other cast members who will reprise their roles include Michael Kelly, Jayne Atkinson, Constance Zimmer, Patricia Clarkson, Campbell Scott, Derek Cecil, and Boris McGiver.

It is unknown how the final season will handle the sudden exit of Spacey's Underwood in terms of storyline, though it can be recalled that Claire ascended to the role of President of the United States in the season 5 finale. This opens some new doors for the show to pursue, including possibly killing off Spacey's character, much like the British version of the show.

Apart from sexual abuse allegations, Spacey has also been accused of racist behavior towards the show's security employees. And, according to Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, removing Spacey from the show was the correct decision.

"I think it gave us all an opportunity to soul-search right away and I love that we were able to very quickly come to the conclusion," Sarandos told New York Daily News, explaining that getting rid of those who impede a safe working environment, regardless of who they are, is of the utmost importance.

"House of Cards" season 6 does not have a premiere date yet.