Sigh… I have some interesting but slightly depressing news. The cast for True Detective Season 2 has been officially confirmed. Colin Farrell is definitely one of the leads, he’ll be playing a “compromised detective” named Ray Velcoro (otherwise known as Raymond Velcro, one would assume). Vince Vaughn is definitely in there as a career criminal. And Taylor Kitsch is some kind of cop too. But HBO confirmed the two major female parts will be played by… Rachel McAdams and Kelly Reilly.
HBO is officially firming up True Detective’s second-season cast. The network has confirmed Rachel McAdams as the female lead, as well as Black Box alum Kelly Reilly and Friday Night Lights’ Taylor Kitsch in supporting roles. The eight-episode sophomore season, now in production in California, centers on three police officers and a career criminal who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.
Colin Farrell will play Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him. Vince Vaughn is set as Frank Semyon, a career criminal in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner.
McAdams will play Ani Bezzerides, Ventura County sheriff’s detective whose uncompromising ethics put her at odds with others and the system she serves. Kitsch is set as Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle officer for the CHP who is running from a difficult past and the sudden glare of a scandal that never happened. Reilly is Jordan, Frank’s wife and a former D-list actress who is a full partner in his enterprises and ambitions.
Season two will be written by Nic Pizzolatto and will be directed by a cadre of helmers — including Justin Lin — after the planned departure of Emmy winner Cary Fukunaga. In a cover interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pizzolatto, who not only writes every episode but is intimately involved with the casting, noted that a move to multiple directors for season two has more to do with being able to move at a faster production pace than anything else.
Despite critical raves almost across the board, particularly impressive for a first-time showrunner, the gritty anthology series failed to deliver on expectations at August’s Emmy awards, where AMC incumbent Breaking Bad proved the night’s big winner. Although Pizzolatto has looked to manage expectations ahead of the show’s sophomore season, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo has said on multiple occasions that the season two scripts that he’s seen are even “more exciting” than those for season one. Production on season two is set to begin later this fall in California.
Well… okay. I mean, this casting announcement doesn’t make me mad. We can always be grateful that Jessica Biel wasn’t cast, you know? But I’m sort of depressed about Rachel McAdams. Rachel could have been… Jessica Chastain, you know? Rachel could have been a major movie star. But there were some bad career decisions and now she’s probably grateful that she gets to do one season of a highly acclaimed HBO show. It could be worse for her, for sure. But it could have been better too. As for Kelly… I’m actually happy about that. She’s been trying to break it into American TV work for a while now, this might be the kickstart she needs. She’s actually a very talented character actress.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
