Mahershala Ali will be the first Black lead actor on “True Detective.” (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
After Twitter began buzzing with excitement over Mahershala Ali’s part in the upcoming season of “True Detective,” HBO announced it’s officially a go.
The Oscar-winning actor locked in a deal with the premium cable network earlier this summer and according to Deadline, Ali will play the lead as Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas. Hays will look into a grim crime in the Ozarks, as “a mystery … deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods.”
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Ali hasn’t publicly addressed the development, but series creator Nic Pizzolatto and HBO president Casey Bloys have.
Pizzolatto said he’s “tremendously thrilled to be working with artists at the level of Mahershala and [director Jeremy Saulnier]” while Bloys said the network is “excited” to move forward with a new season alongside Ali and Saulnier.
The Ali-led next installment, for which a number of episodes and premiere date have not been unveiled, will follow the critically panned season 2 starring Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams. By contrast, season 1 of “True Detective” was a huge success with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
