‘House of Cards’ Promotes Pair as Showrunners For Season 5

“House of Cards” has promoted two insiders to take the reins as showrunners for season five from creator Beau Willimon.

Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese will serve as co-showrunners on the next season of the Beltway drama, which is expected to bow in 2017. Season four of the series starring Kevin Spacey as a scheming career politician who winds up in the Oval Office bows March 4.

“I welcome Frank and Melissa in their new roles on ‘House of Cards’ and look forward to collaborating with them and our creative team on season five,“ said Spacey, who is also an exec producer.

Gibson and Pugliese joined the show, produced by Media Rights Capital, in its third season. Willimon last month announced his decision to exit after running the show for four seasons.

That news came at the same time Netflix renewed the drama for a fifth season. The fact that MRC and Netflix did not have successors lined up fueled speculation about behind-the-scenes tension contributing to Willimon’s departure.

“We and the rest of the ‘House of Cards’ writers look forward to the next chapter of the reign of Underwood,” said Gibson and Pugliese.

Like Willimon, Gibson and Pugliese have long resumes as playwrights. Gibson, who was previously exec story editor on the show, has past TV credits that include FX’s “The Americans.”

Pugliese, who was supervising producer, is a film and TV vet who has served hitches on “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order,” among others.

The pair are repped by Dan Halsted’s Manage-Ment banner. Gibson is with CAA; Pugliese’s with WME.