True Detective and Matthew McConaughey: they were a winning combination when the first season of the crime anthology premiered on HBO in 2014. McConaughey achieved critical acclaim for his first TV performance, and Nic Pizzolatto basked in respective praise for his writing. Six years after True Detective’s first hooked fans, McConaughey and its creator are reteaming for a new show, marking the former's long-awaited return to TV.
Matthew McConaughey and True Detective's Nic Pizzolatto will reteam for Redeemer, but their much-anticipated reunion series will not air on HBO. Instead, Redeemer has received a script-to-series commitment at FX, and the show isn't the only thing keeping McConaughey and Pizzolatto there. Pizzolatto now has an overall production deal with Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions, while McConaughey has a first-look production deal with FXP, so expect to see even more TV content coming from both of them in the future.
Now that you understand the behind-the-scenes set-up for Redeemer’s destination, it is time to dig deeper. Matthew McConaughey is set to star in the series, which is inspired by Patrick Coleman’s first novel, The Churchgoer. The TV show is obviously sporting a different title, so what is it about?
Well, it is a role tailor-made for Matthew McConaughey to shine, in my humble opinion. McConaughey will star as a “minister-turned-dissolute security guard,” per Deadline. Will his Redeemer character be as troubled as True Detective’s Rust Cohle? The character will find himself embroiled in a “corruption-steeped criminal conspiracy” as he searches for a woman who has gone missing in Texas. As you may have also suspected, Matthew McConaughey’s character finds his past and present getting tangled in the missing-person mystery.
Various timelines colliding as an investigation takes on personal meaning for the person most invested in it? There are definitely some similarities to be found here, and Redeemer sounds as intense as True Detective. Given that fans are unsure if a Season 4 will happen, that is a good thing for those wanting to be satiated by Nic Pizzolatto's signature brand of murky investigations.
If you think that Redeemer seems as twisty and complicated as True Detective’s first season did, you are not alone. It is not a Season 1 redux, of course, but it is something, and FX is a great home for a project like this. In past comments, Matthew McConaughey remained open to the potential of reprising his role as Rust Cohle, and even talked about missing the character when watching the show back in 2016.
Nic Pizzolatto had previously teased an “exciting” idea for a fourth season of True Detective, but HBO reportedly might be interested in working with other creative minds on it, now that his overall deal has expired. That show's future certainly didn't stop him from getting this new TV show together with Matthew McConaughey. I think the two created mesmeric results during their team-up for True Detective’s first season, so expectations will be high for Redeemer.
While Matthew McConaughey is set to step in front of the camera, he will also have an influence behind it, serving as an executive producer on the series, alongside True Detective’s creator. Redeemer marks a massive return to television for McConaughey, though he has remained incredibly busy on the silver screen.
Matthew McConaughey currently has Guy Ritchie’s recently released crime actioner The Gentlemen as the latest on his docket. Now, television will finally welcome him back into its eager embrace with Redeemer. I think this show could have some legs if there's room to keep it going beyond a single season.
Like many, I could also go for Woody Harrelson joining the Redeemer cast, reuniting Matthew McConaughey with his Season 1 co-star. Maybe Harrelson's involvement is too much of an ask at this point? It seems as though McConaughey’s unnamed protagonist will be on a solo journey of sorts, but perhaps in a smaller role.
As True Detective fans will recall, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s characters were police detective and partners. Their disturbing investigation involved a lot of upsetting detours throughout Season 1. Redeemer sounds primed to be just as gritty. I am curious to know how McConaughey’s character connects to the missing woman.
Maybe, she used to go to his church? Stay tuned. Due to how early things are in the process, a release date for Matthew McConaughey’s new TV show with True Detective’s creator is pending. In the meantime, you can enjoy this winter and spring’s premieres.
