Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali is expected to land a leading role in the third season of True Detective. According to an exclusive report by Tracking Board, the 43-year-old actor is in negotiations to star in the next installment of the HBO anthology crime drama; however, sources claim nothing has been finalized, as the next season has yet to receive the green light.
True Detective premiered in early 2014, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Season 2 began airing in mid-2015 with Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, and Rachel McAdams leading the cast. If the reports are true about Ali’s potential contract, he’ll become the first black actor to star in the hit series.
Tracking Board points out there aren’t many details about True Detective’s third season, including its main cast or plot line. What we do know, however, is that HBO enlisted David Milch (Deadwood) to co-write the upcoming season alongside the show’s creator Nic Pizzolatto. The change likely resulted from the criticism of season 2, which was so disappointing that many believed the series would/should not continue. But with addition of Milch—and possibly Ali—True Detective has a good chance at redemption.
Ali has starred in hit series like House of Cards and Luke Cage, and recently nabbed an Oscar for his role in Moonlight, which also received the Best Picture trophy. He’ll also star in the upcoming film drama Roxanne Roxanne, which will be based on the life of rapper Roxanne Shanté.
