Nic Pizzolatto And Matthew McConaughey Reteam For ‘Redeemer’ Drama Series At FX; ‘True Detective’ Duo Ink FX Productions & Fox 21 TV Studios Deals

Nellie Andreeva
·4 min read

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True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto and one of the hit HBO anthology series’ original stars Matthew McConaughey are reuniting for Redeemer, a drama series headlined by the Oscar winner, which has landed a script-to-series commitment at FX. In conjunction to the sale, Pizzolatto has signed an overall production deal with Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions and McConaughey has closed a first-look production deal with FXP. FX, FXP and 20th TV are all owned by Disney.

Created by Pizzolatto and inspired by Patrick Coleman’s debut novel The Churchgoer, Redeemer stars McConaughey as a minister-turned-dissolute security guard whose search for a missing woman in Texas leads him through a corruption-steeped criminal conspiracy, as his past and present impact and entwine around a mystery of escalating violence and deceit.

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Pizzolatto and Texas native McConaughey executive produce Redeemer, which is produced by Fox 21 TV Studios and FX Productions.

Pizzolatto is coming off back-to-back overall deals at HBO where he had been based since the premium cable network landed the original installment of True Detective, starring McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, in 2012 after a bidding war. That first season became a ratings and critical hit and a pop culture phenomenon. After a second installment met with mixed reaction, Pizzolatto returned to top form with the most recent third installment of True Detective starring Mahershala Ali.

HBO has not made a decision about a possible fourth season of True Detective. If the network proceeds with another installment, it is not clear whether it would be with Pizzolatto as I hear HBO brass are open to exploring new creative voices for the franchise.

“We’re very proud of the work Nic did for HBO, and we wish him the best in his new endeavor,” the network said in a statement.

Pizzolatto was a novelist with only one TV credit, a staff writer job on AMC’s The Killing, before writing True Detective on spec. The script attracted McConaughey who was the first actor to sign on before the project was set up at HBO. He in turn brought in Harrelson.

“We are thrilled to begin our creative partnership with Nic Pizzolatto and Matthew McConaughey on Redeemer, who are back together for the first time since the first season of HBO’s True Detective,” said FX Entertainment president Eric Schrier. “We’re also incredibly excited about our overall deal with Nic and look forward to developing new projects with him and our partners Fox 21 Television Studios, and we’re equally excited to be developing projects with Matthew through his first-look deal with FXP.”

The first season of True Detective received 12 Emmy Award nominations, including McConaughey’s nomination for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Pizzolatto’s nomination for Writing for a Drama Series, and won five awards.

“From the moment we all saw True Detective, we’ve been dying to work with Nic,” said Fox 21 TV Studios president Bert Salke. “The fact that we get to do this together with our FXP cousins is a best-case scenario. I don’t think there are a lot of writers in town right now who are writing with Nic’s force and emotion. It’s why we’re beyond excited about Nic’s project with Matthew, which is a big priority for both companies.”

Pizzolatto most recently wrote The Guilty for Bold Films, with Nine Stories attached to produce and Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star.

“I’m very excited at the opportunity to work with Matthew again, and really grateful and thrilled to have the chance to create new shows for Fox 21 and FX,” he said.

Pizzolatto is repped by Eric Brooks of Goodman Schenkman. Coleman is repped by Levine Greenburg and WME. McConaughey, an Oscar winner for his portrayal of Ron Woodruff in Dallas Buyers Club, is repped by WME and Morris Yorn.

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