Based on the first in a trilogy of novels by former Conservative chief of staff Michael Dobbs, A House of Cards began a tale that was littered with numerous cynical observations; intended to highlight the way in which British politics actually work; and as it eventually became a highly acclaim miniseries back in the ‘90s, it’s now being pipped for a U.S. remake.
One of the driving forces behind crafting the U.S. version of the show is non other than David Fincher; director of The Social Network; who plans on directing the pilot episode of the series, and hence setting the tone for everything that follows (much like acclaimed director Martin Scorsese did with Boardwalk Empire).
Furthering the credentials of the planned show, Kevin Spacey (who acted as a producer on The Social Network) is planning to throw in his expertise as not only an executive producer, but headline star; planning to take on the role of the smarmy, backstabbing, exceedingly clever politician Francis Urquhart (the fictional politician who was the star of the former series).
However, while A House of Cards sounds perfect for TV (it did do rather well last time around; winning a great deal of critical praise, a BAFTA, and an Emmy), and would be a great way of illuminating the ins-and-outs of American politics, it still hasn’t been optioned by any stateside network; although that will likely change pretty quickly given the material and talent attached (which would make it perfectly suited to a network such as HBO or Showtime).
