True Detective season 5: Release date speculation and latest news

Night Country showrunner Issa López will be at the helm of the new season once again, which HBO has confirmed will be set in New York.

“It’s set in New York, in Jamaica Bay,” Francesca Orsi, HBO’s Head of Drama Series and Film, said at the premiere for The White Lotus season 3.

“Issa has a lot to say, not unlike she did with Night Country,” Orsi told Deadline, adding: “It’s a different milieu but just as powerful.”

Season 4 star Jodie Foster previously confirmed what many had suspected – she won't be returning for the next instalment, with the story likely to shift focus to a new cast of characters (as is tradition for this show).

She gave Variety a flat "no" when posed the question on a recent red carpet, which has set the rumour mill turning on which A-list stars could be next to lead the suspenseful, awards-worthy drama.

Read on for everything we know so far about the fifth season of True Detective.

True Detective season 5 release date speculation

Production is set to kick off in the next few months, with the season set to premiere in 2027, Orsi confirmed to Deadline.

She continued: “I’m really excited about it. We have a small writers room going with Issa; she’s excited. We just gave notes on the first two episodes, the entire season.

“Honestly, I can’t wait for this to go. It’s all about casting and getting this ready.”

Could anyone return for True Detective season 5?

As is the nature of an anthology series, each season of True Detective features a new cast of characters and focuses on a different case – even though season 4 did have some small ties to the first season.

Although Night Country has proven very popular, with calls for Foster and Kali Reis to remain in the True Detective universe, both have said that they think their characters' stories were complete by the end of their season.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Reis said: "I loved playing Navarro. She’s so complex, so dark, so layered. I absolutely adored her. But, would we do a Night Country 2? I don’t think so. If it ain’t broke, leave it where it is."

Foster also spoke highly of her time working on the show alongside the likes of Reis and López, describing them as "a team that knows exactly how everything is supposed to be".

However, she later told Variety that she wouldn't be returning for True Detective season 5, all but confirming that the show will retain the format of largely disconnected anthological stories.

As of now, there's been no word on casting for season 5, but the series will be sure to attract some star-studded talent if previous seasons are anything to go by.

According to reports, the new season will have three leads, consisting of two male stars and one female. It's also expected that there will be Easter eggs and references to Night Country, much like season 4 had connections to season 1.

Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey, Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell and Mahershala Ali are among the names who have fronted earlier seasons.

What could True Detective season 5 be about?

Each season of True Detective has focused on a brand new mind-bending case, with the likes of serial killers, scientific research facilities and missing people being the subject of previous seasons.

As for what the fifth season would be about, nothing has been confirmed just yet – except that the show will remain in the capable hands of Night Country showrunner Issa López.

"Issa López is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO’s creative spirit," HBO Programming Executive Vice President Francesca Orsi said in a statement.

"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."

"From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life," López said. "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."

Responding to criticism from True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto, López told Vulture: "I believe that every storyteller has a very specific, peculiar, and unique relation to the stories they create, and whatever his reactions are, he’s entitled to them. That’s his prerogative.

"I wrote this with profound love for the work he made and love for the people that loved it. And it is a reinvention, and it is different, and it’s done with the idea of sitting down around the fire, and [let’s] have some fun and have some feelings and have some thoughts. And anybody that wants to join is welcome."

True Detective: Night Country is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW. Find Sky deals here.

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