ANNAPOLIS – The legislative deal to please the producers of the Netflix show “House of Cards” may have collapsed but a key Maryland lawmaker remains confident the show will remain in Maryland to shoot its third season.
“We’re going to resolve the issue of ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Veep,'” says Maryland Senate President Mike Miller, (D), who promises to please the producers of HBO’s “Veep” — like “House of Cards” — a show about Washington, D.C., filmed in Maryland.
Lawmakers in the just completed General Assembly came to terms on $18.5 million dollars in film tax credits to satisfy the producers of “House of Cards.” But the deal broke down when some legislators slapped conditions on the funding — that the show makers would pay it back if they pulled out of the state.
Miller figures “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, a former presidential campaign staffer is well aware how a legislative deal can fall apart.
“He understands politics and knows why things get done and why things don’t get done,” Miller says.
The Senate President insists it’s vital to the state’s economy to keep the shows in Maryland.
“We want to keep these moneymakers here in the state. They generate 20 times the amount of money we invest in them and we’re going to find a way to keep them and we’re going to depend on the governor to do that,” Miller says.
The makers of “House of Cards” threatened to film the show’s third season in another state if they didn’t receive increased funding.
“It’s like keeping Joe Flacco as quarterback of the Ravens. We want to keep these moneymakers here in the state,” Miller says.
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