HBO is working on a fourth iteration of True Detective.
Deadline understands that the WarnerMedia-owned cable network is developing a new take on the crime drama – tentatively titled True Detective: Night Country – from Issa López and Barry Jenkins.
We revealed in February 2021 that HBO was in talks with new writers to bring back the dark drama series with content chief Casey Bloys telling Deadline that he was hopeful of finding a new way into the story. Last month, he told Deadline that there was something in the “True Detective area” that he was “feeling good about”.
The show, which was created and written by Nic Pizzolatto, ran for three seasons between 2014 and 2019.
López will write, exec produce and direct the pilot with Jenkins exec producing via his collective Pastel alongside Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak. Anonymous Content, which produced the first three instalments will also exec produce with other True Detective EPs, so presumably Pizzolatto will be among those listed.
López is the writer and director of Mexican film Tigers Are Not Afraid (Vuelven), which won a slew of awards over the last few years and received praise from the likes of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Guillermo Del Toro.
The latter is also working with Lopez on a haunted western about the werewolf mythology. She is also working with Noah Hawley on Searchlight’s The Book of Souls and with Blumhouse on Our Lady of Tears.
Jenkins, who won the Best Picture Oscar for Moonlight, is coming off ten-part Amazon series The Underground Railroad. Last April, Pastel, the filmmaking collective that he founded with Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak struck a first-look TV deal with HBO, HBO Max and A24.
Deadline understands that others have also tried to crack the story. Lucia Puenzo, who co-created buzzy Argentinean drama Cromo, and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson were among those that had been developing a new take on the series.
The third season of True Detective aired on HBO in 2019 and starred Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff, set in the Ozarks. It was the follow up to 2015’s Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn-fronted series and the first season, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
Pizzolatto previously said he had an idea for a fourth season, but that didn’t move forward and he went on to reteam with McConaughey on Redeemer, a project for FX with an overall deal with FX Productions and 20th Television. That series wasn’t picked up.
HBO declined to comment.