Two episodes in 'House of Cards' Season 3 may feature the United Nations, based on recent developments concerning the production of the popular Netflix original series.
Last week, the Russian Delegation rejected requests made by the series' producers to film those episodes in the UN Security Council chambers in New York.
"Upon thorough reflection, we are objecting to the proposed filming in the Security Council," Russian diplomat Mikael Agasandyan said in an email that was obtained and republished on Foreign Policy online.
"We are of [the] opinion that the Security Council premises should be available at any time and on short notice. Besides that, we consistently insist that the Security Council premises are not an appropriate place for filming, staging, etc."
Though it supported the Russian decision, China's delegation stated it was open to reconsideration if council members had access to the script. The Netflix political thriller has developed a popular following in China, which reportedly includes a number of government officials. Even so, the show presents China in an unfavorable light during the second season.
On Jun. 26, the British delegation urged the 15-national council to consider accepting the filming request as part of a public relations ploy to promote international awareness of the UN.
'House of Cards' producers had planned to film the United Nations scenes late at night over the weekends, and only in mid-August when the majority of the Security Council's top ambassadors are on break.
Just over five decades ago, the UN denied legendary director Alfred Hitchcock permission to film his famous 'North by Northwest' murder scene at the North Delegate Lounge in the United Nations building in New York. Hitchcock resorted to using a mock-up film set to recreate the lounge.
It remains unclear how the show's production team will duplicate interior settings at the United Nations building.
For now, the actual 'House of Cards' Season 3 release date remains unconfirmed, but it may be coming in early 2015. The previous two seasons, for instance, saw their release dates in February. So, the new season may premiere at about the same time frame.
At this time, Season 3 is being filmed primarily but not exclusively being in Baltimore, Maryland.
