HBO has officially announced the fourth season of the acclaimed crime drama series True Detective. Issa Lopez (Tigers Are Not Afraid) will be taking over writing duties from creator Nic Pizzolatto. Lopez will also serve as an executive producer in addition to directing the pilot. Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) will also be executive producing the show, tentatively titled True Detective: Night Country.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Nic Pizzolatto is likely to receive an exec producer credit as well, along with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Plot details for True Detective: Night Country are still being kept under wraps, although a previous report suggested that HBO was eying Jodie Foster to play one of the two female leads. It’s also reported that the show will take place in the Arctic this time around.
True Detective is among HBO’s most successful shows of the past decade. With the exception of an underwhelming second season, True Detective has been praised by both critics and audiences. Throughout its run, the show has generated significant viewership figures and won numerous awards. It was only a matter of time before a new season was greenlit. Casey Bloys, Head of Programming at HBO, recently teased that the network was in talks with writers to develop True Detective 4. Bloys also said that HBO was aiming for quality and a "new voice" for the show.
What Can We Expect From True Detective: Night Country?
True Detective is one of HBO’s most-watched and critically acclaimed shows ever. Directed by Cary Fukunaga (No Time to Die, Beast of No Nation) and written by Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective season 1 starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as two homicide detectives with contrasting ideologies trying to piece together the mystery surrounding several gruesome murders in rural Louisiana.
After the success of the first season, a second season was immediately announced and premiered in 2015 but failed to live up to expectations. True Detective season 3 debuted in 2019, starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali. Although it marked an improvement over the previous season, it still couldn't surpass the incredibly high standards set by True Detective season 1.
Each season follows an anthology format, featuring a self-contained narrative. Creator Nic Pizzolatto said he pitched his idea for True Detective season 4 to HBO, but the network didn’t move forward. As per Deadline, other writers, like Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, also tried their luck at developing a new True Detective series, but to no avail.
Mexican filmmaker Issa Lopez, who is best known for her 2017 genre-bending film, Tigers Are Not Afraid, is now penning the script for True Detective: Night Country. Barry Jenkins, who won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Moonlight, is also involved in the show. Jenkins has quickly risen through the ranks in Hollywood, becoming one of the most sought-after filmmakers working right now. He will next direct Disney’s The Lion King sequel.
A fresh approach could be beneficial for True Detective, as the last two seasons - although well-made - haven't lived up to the first. Perhaps a change of scenery and showrunner will be for the best. Plus, if True Detective: Night Country does take place in the Arctic, it’d be something to behold, especially with the HBO budget. A mystery set in the snowy, freezing Arctic where the sun doesn’t rise for months at a stretch, what’s not to like?