Matthew McConaughey, ‘True Detective’ Creator Re-Team for FX Drama Series
By Joe Otterson
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Matthew McConaughey and Nic Pizzolatto are coming together for a potential new TV series at FX.
The “True Detective” collaborators have landed a script-to-series order for a drama series titled “Redeemer,” which Pizzolatto will write and in which McConaughey will star. Both will also executive produce the project. In addition, Pizzolatto has signed an overall deal with Fox 21 Television Studios and Productions while McConaughey has signed a first-look deal with FX Productions. Pizzolatto was previously under an overall deal at HBO.
“We are thrilled to begin our creative partnership with and on ‘Redeemer,’ who are back together for the first time since the first season of HBO’s ‘True Detective,’” said Eric Schrier, president of FX Entertainment. “We’re also incredibly excited about our overall deal with Nic and look forward to developing new projects with him and our partners Fox 21 Television Studios, and we’re equally excited to be developing projects with Matthew through his first look deal with FXP.”
“Redeemer” is inspired by Patrick Coleman’s debut novel “The Churchgoer.” It follows a former minister turned dissolute security guard (McConaughey), whose search for a missing woman in Texas leads him through a corruption and criminal conspiracy, as his past and present impact and entwine around a mystery of escalating violence and deceit. FX Productions and Fox 21 will produce.
“I’m very excited at the opportunity to work with Matthew again, and really grateful and thrilled to have the chance to create new shows for Fox 21 and FX,” Pizzolatto said.
The critically-acclaimed first season of “True Detective,” which was created by Pizzolatto, starred McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The season received 12 Emmy nominations with five wins. McConaughey and Harrelson were both nominated for best actor in a drama series, while Pizzolatto was nominated for best writing for a drama series. Two more seasons have since been produced, with the most recent starring Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff airing at the beginning of 2019.
“From the moment we all saw ‘True Detective,’ we’ve been dying to work with Nic,” said Fox 21 Television Studios president Bert Salke. “The fact that we get to do this together with our FXP cousins is a best-case scenario. I don’t think there are a lot of writers in town right now who are writing with Nic’s force and emotion. It’s why we’re beyond excited about Nic’s project with Matthew, which is a big priority for both companies.”
His role in “Redeemer” will mark just the second TV regular role in McConaughey’s career aside from “True Detective.” He can currently be seen in the Guy Ritchie film “The Gentlemen,” which debuted in theaters last Friday. He won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in the film “Dallas Buyers Club” in 2013. He is also known for his roles in films like “Dazed and Confused,” “Magic Mike,” “Interstellar,” and “Amistad.”
In addition to his work on “True Detective,” Pizzolatto recently wrote “The Guilty” for Bold Films, with Nine Stories attached to produce and Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star.
He is repped by Goodman, Schenkman. McConaughey is repped by WME and Morris Yorn. Coleman is repped by Levine Greenburg and WME.
