HBO has officially picked up its original anthology series True Detective for a third season, it was announced today. As was previously rumored, Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) will star in the new season.
The third season will tell 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.
Ali will play Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas.
Series creator Nic Pizzolatto will once again serve as showrunner for the new season. He will write all of the episodes, with Deadwood creator David Milch co-writing at least one script. He will also be making his directorial debut in the new season, with Jeremy Saulnier also set to direct. Executive producers include Pizzolatto, Saulnier, Scott Stephens, Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Steve Golin, Bard Dorros and Richard Brown.
"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.
"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," said Casey Bloys, President of HBO Programming.
