In the fastest news to zip around the entertainment-verse today, it seems like True Detective may have landed another Season 2 lead. Soon after news broke that veteran actor Colin Farrell is in talks to join the critically-acclaimed drama, news broke that his partner in crime will likely be none other than Taylor Kitsch, who is well-known to X-Men fans as the man who played Gambit.
The Wrap posted the news, noting that HBO is currently staying mum about the potential castings. An HBO spokesperson literally said the following, “there is no news to confirm on the casting.” Luckily, we can still gossip about the juicy potential of such a TV partnership.
If the casting news does hold up, it seems that True Detective won’t have to go so heavy on the makeup during its second season. During Season 1, 44-year-old Matthew McConaughey and 52-year-old Woody Harrelson did some time hopping, taking on roles that allowed them to play somewhat young detectives in the early nineties spanning into the early 2000s. With youth on their sides, the under-forty actors wouldn’t have to wear too much makeup, unless the series decides to time hop and turn them into old men. Speaking of age, even if the talks for Kitsch to join the series don’t turn out to be true, it does seem like the HBO series is looking to hire a young actor to play one of the leads. Tron: Legacy actor Garrett Hedlund has also been mentioned as a possibility for the role, although connections to the series note Kitsch is the preferred choice.
Honestly, both Farrell and Kitsch should be a good fit for True Detective. Both actors are high profile enough to seem like meaningful castings, and both should have time in their schedules for a limited anthology series. Farrell just came off of the lambasted movie Winter’s Tale, and he’s always been better in smaller gigs with a twisted sense of humor. With that in mind, True Detective’s tone (should it stay similar) would be a great fit. Kitsch, once thought to be the next big thing in movies, really could use a high profile TV series in the wake of Battleship and John Carter. True Detective would go a long way to build up his TV resume, which also includes the critically acclaimed Friday Night Lights and HBO’s recent TV movie, The Normal Heart.
Once contracts are dotted and signed, I’m sure HBO will make an official announcement about the castings. The good news is that the subscription cable network has not been totally mum about True Detective’s second season. We know that there will be more than two leads, so if Farrell and Kitsch do sign on, there will be more casting news to come. Additionally, the series will be set in California, although creator Nic Pozzolatto was quick to note the show won’t go near Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more news to come.
