The first two scripts for Season 2 of “True Detective” are even more exciting than the ones for the first season, and some castings will likely be announced in the next week, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo says.
“The two scripts we have are… I hate to jinx it, but are more exciting than the first season,” he told TheWrap on Thursday. “Nic [Pizzolatto]’s an incredibly talented writer and he’s blown us away with the first two episodes and we’re in conversations now on the cast and I assume at least some announcements will be happening in the next week.”
Also read: ‘True Detective’ Season 2: What We Know So Far
Speaking at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, Lombardo and HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler said they have only seen two scripts for Season 2 so far. They declined to confirm reports that the new season will include two male and one female lead.
“We’ll let you know,” Plepler said.
“I promise you it will not be that long before it’s all coming out. I think you’ll be pleased with the show,” Lombardo added.
Also read: ‘True Detective’ Creator: Season 2 Will Have 3 Leads; Casting Not Underway
They spoke on a day that “True Detective” scored a slew of Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson each scored nods for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
He said McConaughey’s profile increased dramatically as “True Detective” evolved, and that the network would try to ignore the pressure to cast someone with as much star power.
Also read: ‘True Detective’ Deleted Scene: Watch Matthew McConaughey’s Romantic Relationship Crumble (Video)
“At the time we committed to produce ‘True Detective,’ Matthew certainly wasn’t the star that he turned out to be during the course of production — ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ came out — and so I think we decided early on to free ourselves from the idea of ‘star’ and just lean into great acting.
Still, he added: “I think the people we cast will be well-know names.”