House of Cards creator Beau Willimon held a 30-minute Q&A about the show on Twitter on Saturday. If you’re not caught up on the recently launched second season yet, you’ll probably not want to read further. There are some major spoilers.
Willimon didn’t reveal much about what to expect from the third season, but had plenty of interesting things to say about the past two seasons, and working on the show in general.
Here are the highlights.
@jc2allrightsmio @netflix @HouseofCards He was our only choice. We knew nobody could pull off this role but him. Thank god he said yes!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@ShafOne @HouseofCards @netflix There are seriously no constrictions! Netflix is totally supportive and viewers have the best access!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@zippazimmerman @HouseofCards All our characters are fictional. Not based on real-life counterparts. So I've only met them in my head!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@peregrinep1 Southern Democrats tend to be less ideological. Success is based on personal relationships. That seemed right for Frank.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@pgaback9 That's a sign of distress. Seems appropriate for our show.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@adamsamson Yessir. From day one. Before we even cast the character.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@chewy3522 @HouseofCards @netflix A lot of scratching our heads and banging them against the wall!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@HaydenJ96 A mixture of stages and locations. Usually about half and half.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Jason_P_Edwards @HouseofCards @netflix Typically takes us about 7 or 8 months to write a season. But we start filming before we finish.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@sequinsbythesea @HouseofCards @netflix Good/bad is reductive. Most people are gray, I think.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@theprestonite I love that woman more than sharks love blood.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@mxedtr We do a ton of research – both reading and talking to experts. We fudge the rules sometimes, but we always know when we're doing it
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@JesseI3aker @netflix @HouseofCards Eleven hours isn't all THAT fast!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@B_Sip @HouseofCards @netflix Why stop at the world? How about the solar system, the galaxy and all 11 dimensions of string theory?
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@JenaJ34 There is a constant dialogue with the cast. Their input is supremely important and always makes the scripts better.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Heat55wade @HouseofCards @netflix It was always the plan. Still tough to do. We all loved Zoe. But we stuck to our guns.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@emmalabizarre Not at all. Not trying to do a parallel there.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@TomTWD_ THE WIRE, BREAKING BAD, DEADWOOD, MAD MEN, TOP OF THE LAKE, SURVIVORMAN, THE VOICE, THRU THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Creegsly We'll often go through six or seven major drafts. And continue to tweak even in rehearsals.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@jc2allrightsmio @netflix @HouseofCards Most of it is original, although we do steal some plot points and character archetypes.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@_SeanRider Frank tells us in Chap 8 that when he's attracted to someone, he's attracted. Simple as that. He doesn't believe in labels.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@RyGillen @netflix She was a threat. One that FU could no longer abide. His choice, not mine!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@dabble_d @HouseofCards @netflix No, other than to say that I think every story has its natural conclusion. When we reach it, we'll stop!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@KieferJones5052 @HouseofCards Nope, not worried at all. Since when has FU ever cared about what the LAW says?!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@DennerH1 Really thrilled with how it has connected with a global audience. I think "power" is universal as a subject matter.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@LEYutt @HouseofCards @netflix I worked in politics some, and have a lot of friends that still do. SC because my family is from there.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@JordanAugustyn @HouseofCards @netflix Me too. But the story demanded what it demanded, and when the story makes demands, I listen.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@wtoddrollins We make a grid with the big plot lines and emotional arcs for the whole season. Then dig in and beat out each episode.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Abe7 @HouseofCards @netflix Rehearses being the Coolest-Mammal-on-Earth
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@TweeterSun @HouseofCards @netflix Start your petition now, then send it to the White House!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@MikeSty @AltCap19 @KevinSpacey Yes it did. We stole it outright! And Kevin knocks it out of the ballpark every time.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@JFM_4 @HouseofCards More interested in what you think than my explanation of it. Your thoughts?
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@tmagoula I can't comment on Seas 3 release date yet. But we are hard at work writing it!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Bigbry60 @HouseofCards @netflix Haha, I haven't witnessed it, but that doesn't mean he hasn't. You'd have to ask him!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Christafari909 Getting to work with Kevin and Robin and our amazing cast. And collaborating with such talented directors.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@danieljbeard @HouseofCards @netflix Not a huge fan of flashbacks in general. But rules are meant to be broken, so who knows?
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@amanda_weber_ @HouseofCards @netflix I loved the BBC version. I REALLY wanted to work with David Fincher. And I love writing about politics
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Zoed28 Possibly Chris Christie? He might need a job soon. (Sorry, I had to)
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@spotastic The truth is that there are TWO cashews. U always need a backup in case one is misbehaving. Professional animal wringers own them
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@seannyc13 That was all Jeff Beal, our amazing composer. He wanted to try some new material that would be more in line with the tonal shift
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@JimAshley18 We just asked! And they said yes! We've gotten such great cooperation from those networks. Very grateful for it.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@SohoGuy I worked for almost a year on the first script. I only met Dobbs once we started filming, after we had written all of Season One.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@migreva @HouseofCards @netflix I love writing for them all, but writing for Freddy is especially fun.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@SchnauzerSydney @HouseofCards @netflix My family is from S. Carolina. I've spent a lot of time down there.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@antondelfino @netflix @HouseofCards That would be some pretty funny footage, wouldn't it? I think he's more vampiric – doesn't show on film
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@Zoed28 In several months, knockknock
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@SammiS68 I prefer silence. But when I need some musical inspiration I like THE BOOKS, BOB DYLAN and LAURA MARLING to name a few.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@anitacordell @HouseofCards @garymooreactor Anything is possible in House of Cards.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
@ConnerMcCabe1 There's only one way to find out. And that's to watch Season 3!
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 1, 2014
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