HBO Picks Up Matthew-Woody Series ‘True Detective’ With Eight-Episode Order
EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, True Detective, an eight-part event drama series project starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, has landed at HBO with a straight-to-series order. I hear the pay cable network is finalizing a deal for an eight-episode order to the high-concept cop drama written on spec by Nic Pizzolatto, with Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre) on board to direct all episodes.
True Detective, which sparked heated bidding after it was taken out to the top cable networks earlier this month, is descried as an elevated serial narrative with multiple perspectives and time frames. It centers on two detectives, Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Harrelson), whose lives collide and entwine during a seventeen-year hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana. The investigation of a bizarre murder in 1995 is framed and interlaced with testimony from the detectives in 2012, when the case has been reopened. The concept is for the 8-episode first season to resolve the mystery at hand, with subsequent seasons using same structure but new characters and story. True Detective is gearing up to start production right away. It is ready to do so with director and stars already on board as well as two written episodes and a bible, which were part of the project’s pitch. Anonymous Content, which manages Pizzolatto and Fukunaga, developed True Detective in-house and will be producing the series for HBO. Anonymous president Paul Green negotiated the deal with the pay cable network, with the company’s Richard Brown and Steve Golin executive producing alongside Pizzolatto and Fukunaga and Bard Dorros also set to serve in some producing capacity. As part of the pickup of True Detective, HBO also has signed a development deal with Pizzolatto for other projects.
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This is the second pickup of a hot spec project by HBO. The network’s sister network Cinemax recently gave a pilot order to Hurt People, GK-tv’s drama project starring and executive produced by William Petersen. This is the first TV collaboration for best friends McConaughey and Harrelson who have done two features together, Edtv and Surfer, Dude. For McConaughey, this marks the first regular TV series gig, for Harrelson, it marks a return to the medium where he became a household name as one of the stars of Cheers. True Detective reunites HBO with McConaughey and Harrelson who both appeared on HBO programs recently — McConaughey guest starred on comedy Eastbound & Down, Harrelson starred in the movie Game Change. RWSG Agency-repped Pizzolatto, an award-winning novelist and short-story writer, recently worked on AMC’s The Killing. McConaughey and Harrelson are with CAA, Fukunaga with WME.
Woody and Matthew make for solid chemistry. Hope the writing and production provide a great foundation for this new team.
wow…cant wait for this. The scripts are amazing and so happy Nic will be at HBO. It’s the right home for him. Woo!
This will probably be the show that replaces season two of luck to continue HBO’s uninterrupted one after the other schedule for their “big one hour drama”: April – June is Game of Thrones, June – Sept is True Blood, Sept – Dec is Boardwalk Empire, now mid-Jan to mid-March can be True Detectives.
If you didn’t already think of that, HBO, you’re welcome.
(but where does “the corrections” go if it gets picked up? With that, assuming newsroom hits and treme is still clinging to life, add one more and they have enough to have two dramas per night.)
I thought The Corrections was already picked up or had a straight-to-series order. Anyway, HBO can’t say no to Ewan McGregor and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Treme could get the post-Boardwalk Empire slot. Or they can send it to Fridays (with those animated series) or Mondays (with Enlightened)
HBO said no to The Corrections.
there are few writers out there as exciting as Nic Pizzolatto – this is an incredible coup by HBO – congrats all around
Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at the next great American drama. If you’ve seen those scripts that were circulating, you’d know why every major player wanted a piece of this. Unnerving, thrilling, often profound work. I’m glad it found its proper home.
I can’t believe the level of bullshit hype. This is a buddy cop show (groundbreaking!), written by a college assoc professor who spent one season on The Killing (hot! hot! hot!). It may be good or it may just be expensive ordinary with big names attached (HBO’s specialty these days). Let’s hold the superlatives until there is something to see.
Go back under your bridge troll. Matthew is a true talent and a dear friend. It’s people like him that help others view the world in technicolor.
everyone signs their names when they’re ass kissing it seems.
Help! My life is drab and gray, please bring your dear friend Matthew into my world so I can see the beautiful colors!
I am with you cable guy. But I will say that they have found a terrific young director (no I am not Cary’s mom).
Except in half hour there are no female driven shows on HBO except True Blood.
As for female created shows there is one on the entire network.
Richard Plepler, Michael Lombardo, Sue Naegle you’re worse than the Republicans.
That’s what the Lifetime network and OWN is for. Nobody complains that there isn’t any male driven shows on those networks. Why does it matter if HBO doesn’t have any. Although I could have sworn VEEP, and Girls were female driven. Probably because of the Star of VEEP and the name of the show..you know….Girls.
Dear Steve,
TF said in “half hour.” It would be great if someone had taught reading comprehension to you in grade school.
Hour long on HBO is a different story. They don’t even have an actress to put up for Best Actress in a Drama at the Emmys because the female roles on these shows are so minimal and don’t move the plot. They just observe the action.
HBO (except for Lena Dunham in half hour) has no shows created by women on their network.
Clearly HBO values male viewers more than female. Male employment more than female and male stories more than female.
That is their choice. They can do whatever they want.
Steve, your comparison is specious. LIfetime and OWN were specifically created to present content that features and appeals to women. HBO does not have the equivalent mission for men. One can criticize HBO for not offering more shows created by or starring women because they never set out to exclusively be a male network.
Yes whether or not corrections has a straight to series order, I agree it is a done deal. Treme does indeed have the post boardwalk slot for this fall, newsroom can continue after true blood and I guess corrections after game of thrones? (that’s quite the powerhouse night!) maybe that’s enough – jan to march is slow, so maybe one show there is best.
Treme will be done in one more season after this fall (if that) at which point move newsroom off of summer and into post boardwalk. Summer can double up true blood with comedies which always felt right for the summer anyway (girls after game of thrones just seems weird).
Hbo if you want to hire me just reply to this post
Gettig ahead of myself here, but I expect there will be Emmy hype when this airs probably sometime next year. Since they’re going the anthology route, does that mean it will be in the mini-series category like American Horror Story is doing this year?
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson? What ever did these two bond over?
Uh there both from Texas and probably has similar experiences trying to break into the business.
I believe Michael H. was referring to an herbal connection.
I think Mr. Heister is thinking of something else that Harrelson and McConaughey might enjoy bonding over.
Can’t you smell the bong water?