WriterNic Pizzolattomade a killing on HBO with the first season ofTrue Detective. StarringMatthew McConaughey(who was in the midst of the McConaissance and on the verge of his first Oscar) andWoody Harrelson, the pseudo-supernatural detective drama became a sensation, prompting HBO to make another round of the anthology series with a new cast, setting, and story. Season 2 didn’t stick the landing as the network and fans hoped, but we haven’t heard the last of Pizzolatto.
While the future ofTrue Detectiveis still unclear,THRreports that sources within HBO are suggesting it’s more likely viewers will see an entirely new series from the writer.Cary Fukunaga, who emerged into the spotlight more with his brilliant direction of Season 1, found new life helmingBeasts of No Nationand perhaps now a miniseries event for HBO centered aroundStanley Kubrick’s lostNapoleonproject. It seems like Pizzolatto is doing the same. Heinked a two-year overall dealwith HBO last fall that would see him churning out new content through 2018. At the time, reports stated a number of new projects were being considered, though anything more specific is unclear.
True DetectiveSeason 2 featuredColin Farrell,Rachel McAdams,Vince Vaughn, andTaylor Kitschas four leads instead of two. HBO’sformerprogramming president,Michael Lombardo, took the blame earlier this year for thelackluster run, stating:
Well, you know what? I set him up. To deliver, in a very short time frame, something that became very challenging to deliver. That’s not what that show is. He had to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. Find his muse. And so I think that’s what I learned from it. Don’t do that anymore.
Pizzolatto is certainly a talent, and the network seems committed to figure out some way to utilize his skills. During the interim, he worked on the screenplay forAntoine Fuqua’s remake ofThe Magnificent Seven, starringDenzel Washington,Chris Pratt,Ethan Hawke,Matt Bomer, andVincent D’Onofrio. That film is scheduled for release on September 23rd, and it would seem like a smart idea for HBO to capitalize on Pizzolatto’s involvement by announcing some sort of new project around then.
