Kate Mara has joined the cast of David Fincher's House of Cards.

The original Netflix series will star Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, a ruthless politician who targets the new president when he is passed over for secretary of state.

American Horror Story star Mara has now joined the project as Washington newspaper reporter Zoe Barnes.

Desperate for a scoop, Barnes will make a deal with Underwood to boost her career, but is unprepared for the consequences.

Mara - the sister of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo star Rooney Mara - recently played Hayden McClaine on FX's American Horror Story and has also appeared on 24 and Entourage.

Other stars to have signed up for the new House of Cards include Robin Wright and Revolutionary Road actress Kristen Connolly, who will play the bold executive assistant of another congressman.

House of Cards first emerged as a novel written by Michael Dobbs, a former chief of staff at the UK's Conservative Party headquarters.

A four-part BBC adaptation, starring Ian Richardson as lead character Francis Urquhart, aired from November 18 to December 9 in 1990.

The new House of Cards will premiere exclusively on Netflix in late 2012.

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Watch a clip from the original House of Cards below:

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