Emmy-Award Winning Netflix Original Series, "House of Cards" Returns For Second Season Friday, February 14

From Media Rights Capital, All 13-Episodes of Second Season Starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright Available to Netflix Members Everywhere at Launch

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 4, 2013 /CNW/ - The second season of the Netflix original series, from Media Rights Capital, "House of Cards," premieres Friday, February 14, 2014. All 13-episodes of the season starring Academy Award^® winner Kevin Spacey ("Horrible Bosses," "American Beauty," "The Usual Suspects") and Golden Globe^® nominee Robin Wright ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "Forrest Gump"), who both received Emmy^® nominations for their performances in the first season, will be available for members to watch instantly in all territories where Netflix is available.

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From director David Fincher ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Social Network"), award-winning playwright and Academy Award^® nominated screenwriter Beau Willimon ("Farragut North," "The Ides of March") and Academy Award^® winner Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump," "Munich," "The Insider"), this critically-acclaimed drama slithers beneath the curtain and through the back halls of greed, sex, love and corruption in modern Washington D.C.

In the second season, Francis (Spacey) and Claire (Wright) Underwood continue their ruthless rise to power as threats mount on all fronts. Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara, "American Horror Story"), an up-and-coming reporter and Francis's former paramour, is inching closer to the truth about his crimes. President Walker's (Michel Gill, "The Good Wife") billionaire confidante Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney, "Southland") demands that Francis reciprocate political favors or face retribution. And Claire must confront the increasing glare of the spotlight as it eats away at her and Francis's once private existence. The Underwoods must overcome these dangers -- past and present -- to avoid losing everything, regardless of collateral damage they leave in their wake.

In addition to Spacey, Wright, Mara, Gill and McRaney, the series also stars Mahershala Ali ("Treme"), Sebastian Arcelus ("Person of Interest"), Kristen Connolly ("The Cabin in the Woods"), Nathan Darrow ("Rigged"), Sakina Jaffrey ("Definitely Maybe"), Michael Kelly ("The Adjustment Bureau") and Molly Parker ("Deadwood").

Additional cast members appearing in the series include: Jayne Atkinson ("The Following"), Gil Birmingham ("The Lone Ranger"), Rachel Brosnahan ("Orange is the New Black"), Reg E. Cathey ("Grimm"), Derek Cecil ("Treme"), Terry Chen ("Bates Motel"), Ben Daniels ("Merlin"), Joanna Going ("Mad Men"), Boris McGiver ("Person of Interest"), Mozhan Marno ("In Plain Sight") Sam Page ("Mad Men"), Kate Lyn Sheil ("V/H/S"), Jimmi Simpson ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") and Constance Zimmer ("The Newsroom").

Carl Franklin ("Homeland"), James Foley ("Glengarry Glen Ross"), John David Coles ("Justified"), Jodie Foster ("Orange is the New Black") and Robin Wright all direct season-two episodes.

"House of Cards," the first original series produced by Media Rights Capital for Netflix, received enormous critical acclaim for its first season. The Telegraph (UK) lauded the series as "the most remarkable new television drama of the year," while the Philadelphia Inquirer hailed the show "a fascinating, first-class political thriller" and Entertainment Weekly described it as "deliciously bingeable."

In the summer of 2013, for its first season, "House of Cards" made history as the first ever streaming series to earn Primetime Emmy^® nominations in major categories, including: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Spacey), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Wright), Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (Laray Mayfield and Julie Schubert), Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Fincher), Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series (Eigil Bryld), Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series (Kirk Baxter), Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Jeff Beal). In all, the show took home three Emmy^® wins for casting, directing and cinematography for its first season.

Based on the BBC miniseries of the same name, the second season of "House of Cards" is executive produced by Fincher, Willimon, Joshua Donen, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti, Andrew Davies, Michael Dobbs and David Manson. The one-hour drama is produced by Donen/Fincher/Roth and Trigger Street Productions, Inc. in association with Media Rights Capital for Netflix.

For additional information on "House of Cards," go to: facebook.com/houseofcards, @HouseOfCards, houseofcards.tumblr.com or netflix.com/houseofcards.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world's leading Internet television network with over 40 million members in more than 40 countries enjoying more than one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, including original series. For one low monthly price, Netflix members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

SOURCE: Netflix, Inc.

Karen Barragan, Netflix PR, [phone], [email protected]

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