There’s no doubt HBO was hoping that True Detective season 3 would help raise the series back to the outstanding critical acclaim that surrounded season 1 (and disappeared with season 2). But news from Variety suggests season 3 might bring more trouble than good to the series.
Director Jeremy Saulnier has decided to leave True Detective season 3 after filming only two episodes, which caused HBO to scramble to find a replacement to keep the production schedule on track. Daniel Sackheim (known for his work on series like Game of Thrones, The Leftovers, and Better Call Saul) was chosen as Saulnier’s replacement.
HBO released a statement explaining Saulnier’s exit from the series, chalking up the director’s departure to scheduling conflicts. “Director and executive producer Jeremy Saulnier has completed the first two episodes of True Detective season 3 and will be departing the production due to scheduling issues,” the statement read. “Daniel Sackheim has come on board as a director and executive producer for the series alongside series creator and director Nic Pizzolatto.”
However, some have remained skeptical over HBO’s statement, claiming that since Saulnier has been attached to season 3 since the beginning, it’s strange that scheduling conflicts would suddenly arise now.
Doubts over the truth behind HBO’s statement were raised even further when Saulnier tweeted a strangely vague comment once the news broke that he would be leaving True Detective. The director simply tweeted, “No comment.”
True Detective season 3 will take place in the Ozarks and will follow a complicated mystery that spans three separate time periods. Mahershala Ali will star as the lead character Wayne Hays, an Arkansas state detective, while Stephen Dorff will play his partner Roland West. Other mebers of the cast include Carmen Ejogo, Scoot McNairy, Rhys Wakefield, and Mamie Gummer.
It remains to be seen exactly what the truth is behind Saulnier’s departure, and whether or not the director’s decision to leave truly boiled down to scheduling conflicts or if it was really over some kind of creative differences.
True Detective season 3 is expected to premiere on HBO in 2019.