He Might be Joining Your Favorite Show

True Detective's first season may have been all about serial killers and secret lives, but when it comes to mystery, it's the show's casting announcements that've had fans freaking out the most. First, there was the news that Jessica Chastain was signing on, and then the news that she wasn't; then, there was the announcement that three people would lead the cast, a number changed to four a few weeks later, then back to three. And now, Deadline is reporting that Colin Farrell might be taking on a leading role, but at this point, I don't know what to believe. Is all this just an elaborate ploy by HBO to peak viewers' interest? Possibly, but if it is, it's working too well for me to complain.

According to Deadline, Farrell is in negotiations to play one of season two's three main leads, and while HBO wouldn't confirm the report, Deadline seemed confident that the actor would be signing on for good. Hopefully, they're right; Farrell, a one-time major movie star whose career has slowed down over the last few years, would be a perfect fit for the role. He's in desperate need of a comeback, but still a famous enough name to draw viewers. And, as films like Minority Report and In Bruges have shown, he's extremely talented; if the material is good enough, he could easily find himself an Emmy nominee this time next year, just like Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

Still, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Farrell's casting isn't yet a sure thing, and even if it is, there's no knowing if he'll succeed in the role just because McConaughey and Harrelson did. Some movie actors take to TV much better than others, and for every Claire Danes or Kevin Spacey with Emmy Awards and huge ratings, there's a Robin Williams or Toni Collette, actors whose moves to television resulted in cancelled shows and bad press. I have hope that for Farrell, that won't be the case, but still, you never know. And really, it might all come down to who he's starring with; if he shares the same amount of chemistry with his True Detective partner that he did with Brendan Gleeson, his In Bruges co-star, then I'm confident the show will be in good hands.