Nic Pizzolatto will serve as the lone writer on the season save for David Milch, who will direct the fourth episode. (An episode count has not yet been revealed.)
Pizzolatto, who created the series, will serve as showrunner and direct alongside relative newcomer Jeremy Saulnier. Exec producers include Pizzolatto, Saulnier, Scott Stephens, season one stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as well as original director Cary Joji Fukunaga. Steve Golin, Bard Dorros and Richard Brown will also be credited as EPs.
Season three tells the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods.
As previously announced, Moonlight Oscar winner Mahershala Ali will topline season three as Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas.
“I’m tremendously thrilled to be working with artists at the level of Mahershala and Jeremy. I hope the material can do justice to their talents, and we’re all very excited to tell this story,” said Pizzolatto, who has an overall deal with HBO.
HBO would not officially confirm that they were moving forward with a third season of True Detective until they found a director who would work with Pizzolatto on the series, which broke out after its freshman run but failed to win over critics with its polarizing second star-studded season.
“Nic has written truly remarkable scripts. With his ambitious vision and Mahershala Ali and Jeremy Saulnier aboard, we are excited to embark on the next installment of True Detective,” HBO programming president Casey Bloys said.
Rumors have swirled for months about the future of True Detective. News leaked in March that Deadwood creator Milch was teaming with Pizzolatto on season three.
A premiere date has not yet been determined. Bloys said in July that Pizzolatto had almost the entirety of True Detective season three written — “I’ve read five scripts on the new season and I think they’re terrific,” he told reporters at TCA.
The True Detective revival comes as HBO is heading into 2018 likely without its highest-rated show in Game of Thrones (which likely won’t be back until 2019), though Westworld — which wrapped in late 2016 — is set to be back next year. HBO’s drama lineup also consists of David Simon’s The Deuce as well as the forthcoming Sharp Objects adapation.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
