Matthew McConaughey came out of the next FX series that was created to bring him together with “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto.
The reunion of the creator of “True Detective”, Nic Pizzolatto, with Matthew McConaughey, will not advance in FX.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to reveal that the creator and writer behind HBO’s acclaimed anthology of police drama is negotiating an early exit from his contract with FX after his first show on the network failed. Pizzolatto’s contract with FX was linked to “Redeemer”, a dramatic series that would have brought Pizzolatto together with his leader of the “True Detective” season 1, McConaughey, who was scheduled to star and be an executive producer. But sources told The Hollywood Reporter that McConaughey dropped out of the next series, leading to his termination at FX and possibly denying Pizzolatto’s deal in the process. Pizzolatto was scheduled to write and be the executive producer of “Redeemer”.
Pizzolatto representatives, as well as an FX representative, did not return requests for comment.
The synopsis of “Redeemer”, based on Patrick Coleman’s debut novel, “The Churchgoer”, said:
“Redeemer” follows a former minister who has become a dissolute security guard, whose search for a missing woman in Texas takes him through corruption and criminal conspiracy, while his past and present impact and intertwine in an escalating mystery of violence and mistake.
Pizzolatto has two more years in the FX business, which he signed in 2020. The terms of Pizzolatto’s FX business were not released last year. Pizzolatto already had a general contract with HBO, which is the home of “True Detective”. Although the third season of “True Detective” debuted in 2019 with strong critical acclaim, Pizzolatto’s departure from HBO put the future of the series in question. Deadline reported in 2020 that HBO executives may be open to bring in a new creative team if the network decides to proceed with season 4, and HBO retains the rights to the “True Detective” franchise.
The “True Detective” season led by McConaughey was well received by critics and voters of the awards season; McConaughey received an Emmy nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Drama Series in 2014, while Pizzolatto received an Emmy nomination for Best Screenplay for a Drama Series in 2014.
“Redeemer” would have marked a return to television for McConaughey, whose last TV role was “True Detective” in 2014. Previously, he played Roy McDaniel in three episodes of HBO’s “Eastbound & Down”. On the film side, McConaughey starred in recent titles like “The Gentlemen”, “The Dark Tower” and “Serenity”.
The Hollywood Reporter’s full story about Pizzolatto can be read here.
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