Nicolas Cage Circling Starring Role in “True Detective” Season 5

It feels like a piece of casting that has to happen. Nicolas Cage is in talks to star in season 5 of HBO’s moody, character-driven crime drama True Detective, a series in which the lead detectives get plum, multifaceted roles that feel tailor-made for a performer who loves nothing more than to disappear into a role.

The last season of the anthology series, True Detective: Night Country, took us into the frozen climes of Alaska in the fictional town of Ennis, and followed Chief of Police Elizabeth Danvers (Jodie Foster) and her former partner, Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis), on an investigation into horrors discovered at a research facility that might be connected to the unsolved murder of an indigenous woman in the community. Night Country was nominated for 19 Emmy Awards, the most-nominated season in the series’ history, which included Jodie Foster winning for Lead Actress. Previously, standout seasons included, of course, the first, which thrilled viewers with a gothic, gruesome, southern-fried noir with stellar lead performances by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as Rustin Cohle and Marty Hart, respectively, two Louisiana State Police detectives investigating the ritualistic murder of a prostitute named Dora Lange. Season one also raked in the accolades, with 12 Emmy nominations, including for both McConaughey and Harrelson.

This history of excellence makes for a hearty meal for an actor of Cage’s abilities and sensibilities. Night Country‘s showrunner, Issa López, is likely returning for season five, which HBO revealed earlier this year would be set in Jamaica Bay, New York. Cage is in talks to snag the lead role of Henry Logan, a New York detective pulled into the case that will be at the center of the new season.

Cage is coming off a run of acclaimed films, including Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Dream Scenario, and the recent, utterly bananas The Surfer.

Deadline first reported on Cage’s potential involvement.

Featured image: US actor Nicolas Cage poses during a photocall for the film “The Surfer” at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 17, 2024. (Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP)