2 Hou of Ca

SF 52398/

FORMAT
The series wil be a one-hour drama laced with dark, incisive humor. Thirteen episodes per season. Rich
with suspense, intrigue, twists, turns and deep, layered character studies. We will heighten the audience's
expectations then surprise them with the unimaginable. The show will feel fresh, now, and necessary. It'
Balzac in the internet age.

We wil introduce each new episode with a brief re-cap teaser of relevant story arcs which have preceded it.
That way viewers coming to the show for the first time wil be able to leap right into the story regardless of
what episode they're starting with. And it will have the added benefit of reminding returning viewers what
story elements to focus on.

PACE AND VISUAL STYLE

David Fincher is a master at making a simple conversation induce the same adrenalin rush as a car chase. His
directing style is dynamic, suspenseful and explosive no matter what is on screen. Films like Se7en, Panic
Room, Fight Club and The Social Network are prime examples. He wil set a heart-racing rhythm to the Pilot
which wil carry on throughout the rest of the series.

Ho of Card 3
 ~

-~

\.

j---
4 Hou of Card
 SF 52398/

CHARACTERS AND ARcs

FRACIS UNDERWOOD
Orson Welles cled tht al of Shakespeae's greates
heroes were viai at hea: Hamet, Richd III,
Macbeth. Fracis Underwoo fits the sae mold. He is
Shaespeaea in scope and siz, deliciously corrpt and
ruthesly ambitious. Whether he sufers the sae sort of
fate as Shaespeae's faen heroes or trcends his own
viaiy to acheve redemption remais to be seen.

Underwood's langue is heightened. He spea with

a certn formality and precision. Words are very
importtto hi and he chooses them caefuy. He taes
a visceral pleaure in their textue and dimensionalty
He is a man who is profae without being profane.
He wi only cuse on the rarest of occions.. He says
the unthnkble in a deliciously palatable manner. In
another life he would have been a warrior-poet. In ths
life he is a silver-tongued snake.

The nuts and bolts: Francis is a traditional southern Democrat from South Carolina who has logged over 20 yeas in
the Congress as the Democratic Whp for the House of Representatives. Afer so much servce to his Par Francis
believes he's finaly due for a cabinet position. In the Pilot Francis is spurned when he isn't nominated for Secreta
of State. lls sets off a chain reacton of events, faciltated by Underwood's expert scheming, which wi shake up the
Washington establishment and vault Francis to the highest offce in the land.

As a boy in South Carolina, Francis had nothng. He grew up a resident of Gafey, a rual town in the state's poor
Up-Country region. From an ealy age Francis decided he wouldn't sette for the dead-end life so many of his peers
seemed destined for. He worked and studied hard, won a scholarship to the prestigious miita academy The Citadel,
graduated with honors and imediately enrolled at Harard University Law SchooL.

Intent, chmatic and ch Fraci made may frends at Harard, althoug he hated the blue-bloo aroctic
pretnsions ofNew End soet lie. With hi dep southern accnt and humble origi, he felt li an outsider, and
despite hi populty among hi clmates, he never fuy felt acpted Whe he may have abhorr the eltim of privieg
Boston cutue, however, Fraci al ha a deep repe fur it. He kept an observt eye on the ways in whch power
operated on capus and in Cabridge. Gathere at Hard were the world's futu leaer and CEOs. Fraci son
resiged hi to the fa tht ifhe couldnt bet the elte, he ougt to join them. He mae hi alance thoug ma.

At Harard, Francis met an undergrduate named Claie Hale. She haied from one of the oldes faes in Connectcut
(of Reolutionar War hero Nathan Hale fae), and she had the pois and pocketbok to prove it. Francis coured
her relendesly, eventuy propose, and they married shorty afer they each grduated, much to the chag of Claie's
parents. Claire's parents thougt Fracis was beneath their daugter. They were imune to hi southern ch and
thougt it digrcefu tht he shamelesly sougt their asistace to launch his caeer in politics. Since he was their
daugter's husband, however, they bedggly supported Fracis effort get a foot-hold in the politica world.

Ho of Ca 5
 FRACIS's DESIRE TO GO INTO POLITICS STEMED FROM TWO THINGS:
1. It was in his blood. His grandfather had stared out as a laborer
on a peach orchard before working his way up to becoming
the powerf County Executive of Cherokee County in South
Carolina. He served in this position for nearly two decades
until being run out of offce due to a boot-leggng scada. He
subsequendy squandered his modest forte, leaving Francis's
father and grandmother destinite. Francis's father harbored a
deep disgut for politics as a result, but Francis always looked
up to his hard-drinking, boisterous grandfather. As a litte boy
he would sit and listen with awe as his grandfather told tal-taes
about runing the county with golden tongue and an iron fist.

2. Fraci felt tht politics was hi be shot at succ. The fie subdetes oflaw bored hi. And why be in the busines of
paring laws when you could be in the busines of ma them. Wht Fraci reay fuund attctve wa Power. A top job
at a wel known fì could be lucrtive to be su. But at Harard Fraci re tht tre power didnt come from money
it cae from who you knew, and how you exloited those connecons. He ha a choice - spnd yea worki hi way up
thoug the ra of a fì and hopin one day to beme parer, or re to South Caoli and ru for the State Senate.

Fracis chose the latter. Uti the connectons he made in law school in addition to the support he obtaed from
the Hales, Francis was able to rae a fa amount of fuds for hi capaign. He and Claie moved back down south.
Fracis went door to door, shook hands, kied babies and was able to oust an incubent nealy thee ties hi age. At
25, Fracis becae the younges State Senator in South Caolia history Afer two term, he made hi bid for Congres
and won in a ladslide, becomig the Hous Represntative of South Caolia's 5th Distrct just before his 30th birday.

One of the secrets ofFrancIs's meteoric rise was how eaily he was able to shift from one personae to another. In the
state Capitol he wore Brooks Brothers suits and taled with the erudite vocabular of a well-educated man. But back
in his district, when it was time to win votes, he was just as comfortble slipping into overals and eating BBQ in the
back of a pick-up truck. Francis had a keen and natural sense for the version of himself that would most appeal to
voters, lobbyists, funders and power-brokers. He could switch seaessly from one identity to the next.

During his first few years in Washington, Francis caugt the attention of House Majority Whip Henry McCarer.
McCarer made Francis his protégé, appointing him Deputy Whip and teaching FrancIs the tricks of the trade. He
advised Francis to keep a watchfu eye on his colleages, tang note of their weaesses and strengts. He implored
Francis to steer clear of attching himself to any controversial issues. To stay out of the limelight and keep delivering
to his own district. Most legislators were blowhards, McCarer maintained. All tal and no acton. They latched
themselves to high-profie issues, peppered themselves into the press, but rarely got any meaningf legislation passed.
These flashes in the pan were always the first to get voted out of offce whenever the politica winds changed. Those
who remained year afer year were the behind-the-scenes operators capable of getting things done. A good Whip was
invaluable to the Par, and the leadership would do anytng to keep such a person in offce. But to be good whip
meant being shameless about drming up votes. It meant using blackmail, betrayal, bulying, and deception. It
meant being feaed, not necesarily liked. Francis fit the job description perfecdy. The two men formed a potent
parnership and made their peers shake in their boots. They were known as the frightf duo "Han and Fran."

When McCarer was voted out of offce in a surprise upset in 1994, he suggested to the Par leadership that
Francis replace him as Chief Whip. The Leadership was reluctat, but McCarer had a large archive of fies with

6 Ho ctCa
 SF 523981

enough dish on the leadership to force them into acquiescence. They reluctantly
appointed Francis Chief\X1hip, a position he has held ever since, proving even more
efIèctive than his mentor. Even out of offce, McCarver exerted a £'lir amount of
inAuence during Francis's early tenure as the ChiefWhip. When the two men had
a £tlling out, however, McCarver tried to tear Francis down. At this point Francis
was so well entrenched that even McCarver's cffcxts were not enough to displace
him. McCarver had taught his protcgc all too welL. Having lost his inAuence
over Francis, and essentially cut off fì'om \X1ashin6Tton, McCarver soon suffered a
massive stroke and has been exiled, mute and drooling, to an old folks home for
the past decade.

When G~UTett \X1alker, a fì'esh upstart with good prospects, decided to run for the
Presidency in 2012, Francis concluded this was his best chance to move up a rung. He
ingratiated himsclfwith Walker carlyon, raising money and securing endorsements fix
Wtlker's cam~xugn. He used all of his politiGtl muscle to become a key component of
\X1alker's strategy to win votes in the South. In return for his service, \XZtlker promised
Francis the position of Secreta!)' of State should he win. Up until this point in his
career, Francis had played all of his cards right. He had escaped his rural poveny. He
had acquired an eduGuion and made powerful tì-iends. He had climbed his way to
the upper GU1ks of the nUl)' leadership. He had placed his bets, correctly, on the next
OCCU~XU1t of the \X1hite House. Had he been appointed Secretary of State, it would

have been the crowning achievement of his political ascendance. He probably would
have served fÒr a term, then happily resigned and gone to work in the private sector.

\X1hen \X1alker - ~U1d his Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez - rescinded tlieir promise,

however, Francis experienced his first, true humiliating defeat. He had played by the
rules ¡md served his time. He had been patient. And despite all this, he tàiled to grasp
the brass ring. Francis may have an amor~tl lack conscience, but he docs have a sense

of propriety. And Walker's decision to spurn him (with Vasquez's prompting), was a
spit in the £'lce to al of Francis's notions of propriety and £tIrness. It is at this moment
that we first meet him. And it is this moment of ful)', shame and unleashed ambition
tliat catalyzes the story which wil unfold as House of Cards.

A'lide fi'om his politiGtl rrajecrol)i there are a number of idiosyncrasies that make
Francis unique. He eats ribs for breakast. He is lets off steam through video games,
particularly first-person shooters, otten playing them into the wee hours of tIie
morning. He loves to sing, a passion he developed in church as a boy, and which
served him well when he performed in an acapella troupe at Harvard. But perhaps
the d1ing closest to his heart is The CitadeL. He considers his four years diere among
his happiest. He loved the stlUcture, hierarchy, camaraderie and discipline of cadet
life. He appreciated the notion of rank and authority. He loved the crispness of
the uniforms and the precision of tIie march. Francis otten credits his time at the
Citadel as his most formative experience and he has remained loyal to die school ever
since. One of Francis's greatest pleasurcs is his annual trip to capus for the Alumni
Association's Board meeting, for which he is Chair. He is worsl1ipped at die Citadel,
and he worships it back

Ho of Ca 7
 CLAIRE UNDERWOOD
Claire Underwood hails from the Hale clan - one of Connecticut's oldest and most distinguished families. Her
father was a successful businessman, later an ambassador to Morocco under the Carter Administration. Her
mother was a beloved society doyenne. Claire grew up among servants, attended the best schools, and wanted
for nothing. She is cultivated and well-read. Her parents groomed her to attend the family's ancestral alma
mater of Yale. But Claire had a bit of a rebellious streak in her and decided to attend Harvard. (Attending
Harard instead of the Yale is as close to armed insurrection as one could get in the Hale family). It's there that
she met and fell in love with Francis, who was then attending Harard's Law SchooL.

Claire was well aware that Francis's interest in her was as strategic as it was romantic. Her family's connections
and wealth offered him opportunities he wouldn't otherwise have. But far from being repulsed by this, she
found it attractive. They talked openly about their shared ambition. She saw in Francis a man who was destined
to go far. Her friends thought Claire was "slumming" with Francis, and assumed their relationship would be
short-lived. When she announced her engagement, friends and family alike were shocked. Claire found their
sense shock titilating, and looked forward to the day when Franci~'s success would prove all their doubts wrong.

Moving down South for Francis's tenure in the South Carolina state legislature was hard on Claire at first. She
felt out of her element in southern culture. But soon she adjusted and won over the up-country society crowd.
She was famous for her parties, and won respect among the poor for her efforts to improve the loca school
system. Her philanthropic work garnered national attention, and soon she was courted by some of the largest
non-profit organizations in the U.S.

In Washington Claire flourished even more. She started her own Foundation to address education and poverty
alleviation in the U.S. and overseas. She becae a master fund-raiser and spokeswoman for a number of well-
respected charities. Her public persona was a huge boost to Francis in every re-election capaign.

But beneath her compassionate exterior simmers the same lust for power Francis feels. Claire is a modern day
Lady Macbeth, constantly prodding her husband to go further with his ambitions. She is just as ruthless as he
is, and his equal when it comes to political srrategizing. Their bond is inseparable, if unorthodox. She is fiercely
independent and appreciates her husband's independence as welL. She wil look the other way ifhe must have a
romantic dalliance for politica gain. She is one of Francis's only confidants, with whom he can share anyting,
but she doesn't press for information when he chooses to withhold things from her. Some would consider their
marriage a business arrangement, but it' far more than that. There is a deep, mutual respect, and they are a
team in every sense of the word.

ZOE BARNES
Zoe is an ambitious and attractive young reporter wiling to do anyting to land her scoop. She targets Underwood
as a valuable source and soon becomes his aly. He uses her to leak stories to the press, and she uses him to advance
her standing at her newspaper. Before long, Zoe abandons the newspaper altogether to run her own website (like
the Drudge Report) and becomes a journalistic sensation. Zoe is the face of the new generation, going from tyro to
tyrant, cutting a swath through the world of new media journalism like a tornado in a cornfield. Evennially Zoe
and Francis embark on an ilicit afair (with Claire's approval). It's a great ride until things begin to go sour once
Zoe gets a whiff of just how ruthess Francis is capable of being. At that point she is forced with a decision: betray
Francis and reveal his scheming or hold her tongue and protect her own caeer. Francis likewise is faced with a
decision: Trust Zoe not to expose his secrets or find a way to neutralize her.

8 Ho of Card
 .. ..
.,..".
"y ',;nl~

"j.í ifi, 1t 'i

,,,""'-'''~
i' ..\:., t, . ·
.::,......
r- ~ ,~M
~ .,.~. ,~~;;~~.-::..".~
ptJ
~ Ii'. (t tij tii I
L .' i' I:: i: ::
i l§ lr~l lll. .1
i lluili~JlJllllH. UHtltlt ij

- --
I ~
.

l
1

. ~.,
,_.__..~,.* .... '~'''~-~.'~~M'
. UIDnflUC.L, ~ .' . . '~j
.' :.'ttL'~~.r;¡....'J~;.-:Lr'J!~.c~;;,;:;:"'g¡;::?t:;~ ~1

E. r fit¡ -). ~-
.~tr..~ -"trtlf,.... --i... .~1.~. ,-'

-¿

~- ). ,/r- t.
¡ ..;.
L ill ia.~¡
\l~
,l
jr
j tf ~ ¡o,,
'L'
¡i
..
). t L. åJ;.. ..
.,.~ te?
tr lfni mil' ( bd
. -i -l 1",,7, .. .. €¡,. f-t..

Ho of Card 9
 PATRICK ONEAL
A charismatic junior Congressman with self-destructive tendencies, Patrick O'Neal is the perfect person for
Underwood to recruit as his personal minion. Francis blackmails O'Neal into doing his bidding, thereby
insuring himself with a scapegoat should anything go awry. Toward the end of the season, O'Neal turns
out to be an unpredictable liability. Underwood has no other choice but to dispense with him, making his
murder appear to be a suicide.

CHRISTINA MALONE
Patrick O'Neal's assistant and main squeeze. Christina is a no-nonsense career woman who, perhaps
more than anyone in the series, brims with a true sense of compassion and conscience. She digs O'Neal
out of every hole he digs himself into. And when O'Neal's exploits on behalf of Underwood begin to get
out of hand, she pressures him to stop, sparking tension in their relationship and O'Neal's souL. She is
trying to make him the good man she knows he is deep down, but it remains to be seen whether O'Neal's
weaknesses are stronger than her Christina's desire to reform him.

i\LKER 5 ADMINISTRA TION

Walker enters offce bolstered by the hopes and dreams of milions of Americans. Initially, his administration
is seen as a new chapter for the country. But the Democratic majority in both houses is slim and Walker
realizes he wil need a strong advocate in Congress to whip up votes for his platform. For this he relies on
Francis. As Francis proves increasingly invaluable, his influence eventually surpasses that of Linda Vasquez
(Walker's Chief of Staff. Ultimately, after v.P. Matthews falls prey to scandal, Walker sees Underwood as
the best candidate to replace him.

EDUCATION BILL
The first initiative Walker hopes to push through Congress is a massive and controversial Education reform
bilL. Underwood manipulates the process so that bil fails, but is able to place the blame on his rivals.
This has several advantages for Underwood. He comes away as a hero to Walker for having come so close
in getting the bil passed, whereas his enemies take the flak for the bill's failure. It also weakens Walker's
administration, making Walker even more dependent on Underwood. Eventually Underwood gets a
compromise bil through the congress, elevating his status with Walker even more.

MICHAEL KERN AND CATHERINE DURANT

When Kern is nominated to be Secretary of State, Underwood quickly decides to bring him down. But
he doesn't aim to acquire the nomination himself. Instead he orchestrates a scandal to block Kern's
confirmation. In Kern's place, Underwood recommends Senator Catherine Durant to Walker and Vasquez.
By doing so, he appears selfless and humble, masking his own ambition. At the same time, Durant is well
aware that Underwood is responsible for her nomination and is more than wiling to return the favor
whenever Underwood requests her help.

SANCORP
Underwood owes much of his power within the Congress to a large agricultural, chemical and industrial
company called SanCorp. The money they supply Underwood both on and off the books allows
Underwood to finance many campaigns and thereby recruit a sizable army ofloyal followers in both houses.

10 Ho ctCa
 SP 523981

Underwood uses his increasing influence within the Walker administration to ensure that SanCorp gets a
major State Department contract to fumigate large swaths of cocoa fields in South America. He does this
of course, by asking Catherine Durant to award them the contract after he's helped her become Secretary
of State. Underwood wil also use SanCorp's money to manufacture a scheme to topple Vice-President
Matthews. Eventually we wil learn that SanCorp is actually owned by an incredibly wealthy but low-
profile businessman from China. Underwood's links to China via SanCorp wil prove to be both a blessing
and a curse as he becomes increasingly more dependent on SanCorp's assistance to accomplish his goals.

MATTHEWS VP SCANDAL
Vice-President Tim Matthews is a popular, outspoken DC veteran beloved by the press. He is the rough
and rumble odd-couple counter-part to Walker's aloof and intellectual idealism. He's the last person
anyone would suspect of using privileged information for the sake of insider trading. But Underwood
masterfully manufactures just such a scandal, throwing Walker's administration into turmoil and forcing
Matthews's resignation. By now he has so ingratiated himself with Walker that the President chooses
Underwood as Matthews's replacement. Essentially, Underwood rises to the second-highest offce in the
land without a single vote ever being cast.

OTHER STORY LINES

In order to spread out some of the rather intense action and scheming in season one, we will have a few "breather"
or tangent episodes which focus on isolated self-contained plots and get us out of DC.

Among these might be an episode where some Naniral Disaster occurs (maybe in South America, to dove-tail with
sorne of the SanCorp story-line), like an earthquake or flood. Underwood travels with a congressional delegation
to access the disaster. Claire may even travel with him and we get investigate the complexity of their relationship
more. We will even see moments where Underwood registers true sorrow and empathy for the victims, only to
neutralize this par of himself in order to stay focused on his quest for power.

Other possibilities include episodes where Underwood comes into contact with figures resembling Rupert Murdoch
and Warren Buffet, men who are masters at the power-game and whom Underwood solicits for help. The "Warren
Buffet" episode, for example, involves a trip to Nebraska to pay homage to the "Oracle of Omahà' on behalf of
Waler. Buffet (we'll ca him something else of course, and place his headquarers in a different Midwestern locae)
is being considered as a possible VP cadidate to replace Mattews. Underwood must convince Buffet to turn it
down so that he himself ca be eligible for me position. In a thriling scene of high-stakes horse-trading, Buffet
agrees to Underwood's request, but in return asks for his loyalty (the same way Underwood demanded O'Neal's).
Underwood readiy agrees, but this may come back to haunt him in Season Two.

OUR ANTAGONIST.' THE TRUTH

Who is the viai to a viai? The answer is not in the "who" but in the "what". Fracis Underwood's greatest antaonit
is the trth. Much of hi schemig higes on hi abilty to cover hi trcks. Whether being asulted by Vasquez, or
evenniy O'Nea, Zo and Staper, Francis caot aford to have his master plan exposed. A chameleon's greatest aset
is inviibilty Without it, he's ea prey But those who are in the busines of hiding the trth from others often hide the

trth from themselves. As we get to know Fracis more, we wi dicover that there are aspect of hi past and charcter
which he would prefer to make disappe, but which refu to be ignored and contiuay haunt hi.

Ho of Ca 11
 SF 52398/

CONTRIBUTORS
Media Rights Capital
MRC is a leading independent fim and television studio, specializing in the creation of premium
entertainment content in partnership with the industry's foremost creative talent and distributors. The
Company is backed by Goldman Sachs, AT&T and WPP Group PLC.

In fim, MRC has financed and produced 16 fims all distributed by major US studios, including
Universal, Sony, Fox and Warner Brothers, in addition to many leading international distributors.
Notable fims include Academy Award Best Picture nominee Babel, Bruno starring Sacha Baron
Cohen and The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. MRC's current fim slate
includes the Sony distributed 30 Minutes or Less from producer Ben Stiler, director Ruben Fleischer
(Zombieland) and starring Oscar-nominee Jesse Eisenberg; TED distributed by Universal Pictures,
starring and directed by Seth MacFarlane, creator of "The Family Guy," in his feature fim debut
and also starring Oscar-nominee Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis; Elysium to be distributed by Sony,
helmed by Neil Blomkamp the writer/director behind the 2009 blockbuster District 9 and starring
Academy Award winners Jodie Foster and Matt Damon. Upcoming films include two additional
projects from Neil Blomkamp; two projects from "Panic Pictures", a production and financing company
in partnership with David Fincher; Bad Blood and Trouble from J Blakeson the writer/director of the
critically acclaimed fim The Disappearance of Alice Creed; a project from Duncan Jones director of the
hit fim Source Code; and Forever from director Gareth Edwards.

In television, MRC's has supplied series to a number of broadcast and cable networks including ABC,
CBS, HBO, Lifetime and Comedy Central. MRC's current TV slate includes two HBO series both
in their third season - Emmy-winning "The Ricky Gervais Show" starring Ricky Gervais, Stephen
Merchant and Karl Pilkington and the animated comedy "The Life and Times of Tim." Also in
production is the new CBS fall comedy "How to Be a Gentleman" from writer/star David Hornsby and
starring Kevin Dilon from the hit series "Entourage". Upcoming series include the highly anticipated
drama "House of Cards" which marks the first foray into series television by Oscar winners Kevin
Spacey and Eric Roth and Academy Award nominated director David Fincher who will direct the pilot
in addition to Executive Producing the series. Other Executive Producers of the series set to premiere
on Netflix include Beau Willimon, Josh Donen, Andrew Davies and Michael Dobbs.

Beau Willimon
Developed By / Co-Executive Producer

Beau Wilimon is a playwright and screenwriter. Plays include: Farragut North (Atlantic Theater
Company, 2008). Lower Ninth (Flea Theater, 2008; UK premiere, Donmar Warehouse, 2010). Spirit
Control (Manhattan Theatre Club, 2010). Film and TV: Wilimon co-wrote the screenplay for the
upcoming Ides of March with George Clooney and Grant Heslov. He has also written fims for Warner
Acheson Wallace Juilliard Playwriting
Bros., Fox 2000 and Summit Entertainment. Honors include: Lila

Fellowship, two-time winner of the Lincoln Center Le Comte du Nouy Award, 2008 Playwright-in-

Ho of Card 13
 Residence at the Donmar Warehouse. His plays have been seen across the U.S. and overseas. Current
theatre commissions: National Theatre of Great Britain, MTC and South Coast Rep. He has written
for Esquire, Malibu Magazine, The Huffngton Post and The Daily Beast. Willimon graduated with a
B.A. from Columbia University in 1999 and an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University's
School of the Arts in 2003. In addition to his career as a writer, Wilimon served on a number of
political campaigns including: Chuck Schumer's 1998 senate race, Bil Bradley's 2000 presidential
race, Hilary Clinton's 2000 senate race and Howard Dean's 2004 presidential race. He drew from all
of these experiences to create the fictional worlds of Farragut North and House of Cards.

Eric Roth
Executive Producer

Academy Award'" winner Eric Roth attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, Columbia
University and UCLA. He won the Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award while at UCLA. His first
produced screenplay was Robert Mulligan's The Nickel Ride, which premiered at the 1975 Cannes Film
FestivaL. Some of the movies Roth has written, or written on include Suspect with Cher and Dennis
Quaid; Mr. jones with Richard Gere and directed by Mike Figgis; Rhapsody in August directed by Akira
Kurosawa, Forrest Gump, for which he won the Oscar'" and the Writers Guild Award for Best Adapted
Screenplay; The Horse Whisperer, directed by Robert Redford; The Insider, directed by Michael Mann
and starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award'" and
a Writers Guild Award and won the Humanitas Award. He also wrote Ali, directed by Michael Mann
and starring Wil Smith. He co-wrote the 2005 Academy Award'" -nominated screenplay for Munich,
directed by Steven Spielberg; and the screenplay for The Good Shepherd with Matt Damon, Angelina
Jolie and Robert DeNiro, directed by DeNiro. Most recently, Mr. Roth received a Writers Guild
Award nomination and his fourth Academy Award'" nomination for his screenplay The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button.

Mr. Roth is currently working on Hatfelds and McCoys for Warner Brothers, Extremely Loud and
Incredibly Close for Warner Bros. and Paramount, and Ripley's Believe It Or Not for Paramount. His
daughter, Vanessa Roth, won an Academy Award'" in 2007 for the best short documentary, Freeheld.
Roth lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Debra Greenfield, an attorney and UCLA instructor in Genetics
and the Law. He has five children and five grandchildren.

Rick Cleveland
Co-Executive Producer

Rick Cleveland is an Emmy winning writer/producer whose television credits include The Wést Wing,
Six Feet Under, Mad Men, and most recently Nurse jackie. Rick's play jerry and Tom was adapted into a
film and was an offcial selection at both the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals. Rick performed his
one man show My Buddy Bill at the Berkshire Theatre Festival (where he is a playwright in residence),
the Goodman Theatre and Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles,
and won the Best Solo Performance Award at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen in 2006. He
also performed the piece at the 92nd Street Y in New York City for a one hour Comedy Central
special in 2007. As a playwright Rick has earned playwriting grants and fellowships from the National

14 Ho clCa
 SF 523981

Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Kennedy Center's Fund for New American
Plays. Rick was invited to the National Playwrights' Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center
twice, and is a Founding Member of American Blues Theatre, Chicago's second oldest ensemble based
theatre company, as well as a Founding Member of the Ojai Playwrights Conference which is now in its
13th year. Rick was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award for his writing on the John Grisham film,
Runaway jury starring John Cusack, Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman. He received
his MFA from the University of Iowa's Playwrights' Workshop. Currently, Rick is writing a mini-series
for HBO about the life of former Vice President Dick Cheney and he wil be directing a workshop of
his brand new play Rick and Dick at the Ojai Playwrights Festival this summer as welL.

Kevin Spacey
"Francis Underwood" / Executive producer
Kevin Spacey is Artistic Director of The Old Vic Theatre Company in London. He has appeared in
National Anthems, The Philadelphia Story, Richard II, A Moon for the Misbegotten, which subsequently
transferred to Broadway, and Speed-the-Plow with Jeff Goldblum. Previous theatre includes The Iceman
Cometh (Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for Best Actor) directed by Howard Davies (Almeida,
Old Vic and Broadway); Lost in Yonkers (Tony Award, Best Supporting Actor); Long Day's journey into
Night with Jack Lemmon, directed by Jonathan Miler (Broadway and West End). His rnost recent stage
appearance was in The Old Vic production of Inherit the Wind, which marked his second production
with Trevor Nunn. He wil next be seen starring in Richard III, which wil be directed by Sam Mendes.

Films include The Usual Suspects (Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor), American Beauty (Academy
Award and BAFTA Awards, Best Actor), Swimming with Sharks, Se7en, LA Confidential, Glengarry
Glen Ross, The Negotiator, K-Pax, The Shipping News, Superman Returns, Beyond the Sea, Shrink, The
Men Who Stare at Goats with George Clooney, and most recently as Jack Abramoff in the feature
Casino jack, directed by George Hickenlooper, for which he received a Golden Globe Nomination for
Best Actor. He wil next be seen in the Warner Brothers summer comedy, Horrible Bosses with Jason
Bateman, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell; and in Margin Call to be released in the fall with Jeremy
Irons, Paul Bettany, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Zach Quinto and Simon Baker - about the collapse
of the banking industry. His fim company Trigger Street Productions has produced the fims 21,
The United States of Leland, The Big Kahuna, Fan boys, and this year's Golden Globe winner for Best
Picture, The Social Network; which was nominated for 8 Academy Awards. Produced by his producing
partner, Dana Brunetti, the story of the founding of Facebook, directed by David Fincher, and written
by Aaron Sorkin, was hailed by most critic organizations as the best picture of the year. Trigger Street
received 11 Emmy nominations and won the Best Picture Emmy for the HBO fim Recount, in which
Spacey played Ron Klain, Al Gore's Chief of Staff during the 2000 Presidential Election. In addition,
Trigger Street received 10 Emmy nominations for the HBO fim Bernard & Doris starring Ralph
Feinnes and Susan Sarandon, directed by Bob Balaban.

David Fincher
Director / Executive Producer
David Fincher directs movies, commercials, and music videos. He hopes that people like them, but if
they don't, it is not for lack of effort. -
Ho of Ca 15