Woody Harrelson Says “Not a Chance” He’d Return to True Detective
Woody Harrelson isn't as open to a True Detective reunion as his co-star, Matthew McConaughey.
After recent reports that a True Detective reunion could be in the cards, star Woody Harrelson has shut down any possibility of returning to the series.
During an appearance on NBC’s 3rd Hour of Today, Harrelson declared that revisiting the world of True Detective is out of the question. “Never. Not a chance,” he said (via Variety), explaining that because the original season “turned out great,” any attempt to revisit it would risk diminishing its legacy.
Harrelson’s comments come in response to revelations from original showrunner Nic Pizzolatto earlier this year. On the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast, Pizzolatto claimed that he had an idea for a new story involving Rust Cohle and Marty Hart, the duo played by Matthew McConaughey and Harrelson in the first season of HBO’s gritty crime drama. He described it as a “character-based” concept and said he was in discussions with the actors, speculating that they might be open to it.
McConaughey had also signaled that he would be open to returning to True Detective, but only if the writing captured the “fire and originality” of the first season, which was set in Louisiana and followed Hart and Cohle as they investigated a ritualistic murder.
Since season 1, True Detective has embraced an anthology format, with season 2 receiving mixed reviews and season 3 faring a bit better. After Pizzlolatto’s departure, the fourth season of the show, Night Country, received a notable uptick in acclaim. However, Pizzolatto seemed unhappy with the quality of the Issa López-run Season 4 and posted negative comments about it online.
According to Deadline, HBO is forging ahead with a fifth season of True Detective. Details are currently thin and largely unconfirmed, but it’s thought that Nicolas Cage will lead the cast as Henry Logan, a cop investigating a case in New York’s Jamaica Bay. Season 5 is set to start filming in 2026 and is eyeing a 2027 release.
Any hope of Cohle and Hart returning to True Detective seems to be gone for now.
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Kirsten Howard has paid their dues. Yes sir, the check is in the mail.