House of Cards to return for eight-episode final season without Kevin Spacey

Production on House of Cards’ sixth and final season will begin early 2018 — and Kevin Spacey will not be involved.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, made the announcement during an interview with UBS during an annual media and communications conference. The season will contain eight episodes and bring a “good, creative conclusion” to the series, Sarandos said. Spacey, who underwent an investigation from Netflix into sexual misconduct allegations from other cast and crew members, will not be involved with the finale. Sarandos did not say how the dismissal of Spacey’s character, Frank Underwood, will be handled.

Netflix’s investigation followed a report from Buzzfeed in late October, which detailed accusations of Spacey sexually harassing Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp when Rapp was 14. Spacey addressed the accusation on Twitter, apologizing for the act but saying he didn’t remember it.

In the week that followed, Netflix confirmed that it was looking into a way to carry on the series without Spacey’s character attached. The studio also confirmed it wouldn’t release Gore, an original movie that Spacey starred in.

Sarandos did not say when the sixth season of House of Cards will premiere.