When the 2014 Emmy nominations were announced yesterday, fans of True Detective had their day in the hot Louisiana sun as the acclaimed HBO series racked up twelve nominations, including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Lead Actor for both Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. But honestly, we’ve all been expecting those nominations ever since True Detective debuted. What fans are really hungry for now is news about who will take the two stellar actors’ places once Season 2 rolls around. Here’s one big clue: Colin Farrell.
According to Deadline’s sources, Farrell is “deep in negotiations” to take on one of the three lead roles for this follow-up season, which will feature completely new characters and settings. To be sure, this should be treated as a rumor – even Deadline said HBO wouldn’t confirm or deny anything – but these guys are almost always on the ball with their exclusives. I can already see Farrell’s face on Emmy ads.
It’s not clear yet what kind of a character Farrell would be taking on, other than a detective. According to creator Nic Pizzolatto, Season 2 will take place in a non-L.A. part of California where they can get into the same “psychosphere” that he developed around the locations in Season 1. And nothing says out-of-the-way California like an Irishman, am I right? I kid, but this will be an awkward experience if Farrell is forced to feign a West Coast accent of any kind. Neither McConaughey nor Harrelson had to overplay their Southern-ness for their parts, so let’s hope Farrell is allowed to speak naturally.
It’s exciting news if it’s true, as True Detective is just the right kind of fictional universe where Farrell works best. I guess he’s fine in superhero movies and Miami Vice adaptations, but he seems to thrive in extremely dark situations where murder and pitch-black humor come together in one gnarled package. I continued to enjoy the odd places where True Detective leaked out its humor – Harrelson’s penis references notwithstanding – even when the mysteries behind the drama fell by my expectations’ wayside. Farrell once spent an entire movie complaining about a Belgian city, and I laughed every time he did it. Whether that speaks to his performance or my predilection for profanity is entirely up in the air. Relive part of In Bruges with the trailer below.
Farrell has had a varied a career as ever in the past few years, shining in Seven Psychopaths and Horrible Bosses while putting it in neutral for remakes Fright Night and Total Recall. And his roles in Saving Mr. Banks and Winter’s Tale couldn’t be more different. So it’s obviously high time for him to take on the role of a grizzled detective tracking down a twisted murderer, while also carrying a load of person drama and potential secret disdain for all women. Let’s just hope this news is made official soon before a man with a scarred face comes and takes it away.
