True Detective season 5 ordered by HBO, with Issa López back at the helm

Just yesterday, we heard that Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López, who directed and co-wrote all six episodes of the fourth season of the HBO anthology crime series True Detective (a season that’s known as True Detective: Night Country) “might” come back to do another season of the show. Now it’s a sure thing. Variety has broken the news that HBO has ordered True Detective season 5, and López, who has just secured new overall deal with the network, will be back at the helm.

True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto was the mastermind behind the first three seasons of the show, but once the third season wrapped up, his HBO deal expired and he signed a new (short-lived) deal with FX. HBO retained the ownership rights to True Detective, and with Pizzolatto gone they were interested in bringing in someone who had “a fresh voice with a different point of view” to oversee the show. That search led them to Issa López.

True Detective: Night Country was the most-watched season of the show, averaging 12.7 million cross-platform viewers, with 3.2 million checking out the season finale on the day of its release. So it’s no surprise to hear that HBO wants López back for season 5. She had this to say about the network ordering another season: “From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life. HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with Casey, Francesca and the whole team is a dream come true. I can’t wait to go again.“

Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming and head of HBO drama series and films, provided the following statement: “Issa López is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO’s creative spirit. She helmed True Detective: Night Country from start to finish, never once faltering from her own commendable vision, and inspiring us with her resilience both on the page and behind the camera. Alongside Jodie and Kali’s impeccable performances, she’s made this installation of the franchise a massive success, we are so lucky to have her as part of our family.“

True Detective: Night Country picked up after the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, as the six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice. JoBlo’s own Alex Maidy loved Night Country, giving it a 9/10 review. Of course, it’s too early for us to have any idea what True Detective season 5 is going to be about.

López executive produced Night Country alongside the season’s star, Jodie Foster. Other executive producers include Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, and Mark Ceryak of Pastel, as well as Chris Mundy, Alan Page Arriaga, Steve Golin, Richard Brown, Mari Jo Winkler, and season 1’s Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, and Cary Joji Fukunaga. Pizzolatto also receives an executive producer credit, but (like McConaughey, Harrelson, and Fukunaga) that credit is his only involvement with the show at this point. Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Cathy Tagnak Rexford, and Sam Breckman were producers on the latest season.

What do you think of HBO and Issa López reteaming for True Detective season 5? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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