House Of Cards renewed for fifth season, as creator Beau Willimon exits the Netflix show

House Of Cards' fourth season hasn't even launched yet, but Netflix appears to have the utmost confidence in Frank Underwood and his ongoing presidential campaign as it has confirmed that that the show is all set for a fifth season, expected to land sometime in 2017. The streaming service shared the announcement on 29 January via its Twitter page, much to its followers' excitement.

But it's not all good news for fans of the dark political drama,however, as it was also announced alongside the news that the upcoming series will be creator Beau Willimon's last, and that he's leaving the show to concentrate on "new endeavors". According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is unclear who will be replacing him as showrunner and Willimon will next be working on an original play, supposedly.

"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 said in a statement.

"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."

In his own statement, Willimon said: "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."

Willimon adapted the hugely-popular show from the BBC mini-series of the same name. The series helped put the streaming service on the map with original scripted fare, alongside other shows that emerged around the same time including Orange Is The New Black. The drama has been an awards-season staple since it began, winning three Emmys for its freshman run back in 2013.

House Of Cards season four will launch in its entirety on Netflix on Friday 4 March. Spacey and Wright will be joined by existing cast member Michael Kelly, who plays Underwood's right hand man Doug Stamper on screen. In July 2015, it was confirmed that The Borgias' Colm Feore and Scream star Neve Campbell are set to appear at some point during the season.

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