‘True Detective’ Update: David Milch Set to Join Creator Nic Pizzolatto for Season 3

“True Detective” is coming back to life for a third season with a little help from HBO veteran David Milch.

Milch has been recruited to help “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto chart the course for the third installment of the anthology series. Entertainment Weekly first reported the news of Milch’s involvement.

Sources cautioned that Milch and Pizzolatto’s collaboration is in the very early stages. Milch is a renowned writer, but also known for his unconventional working style. HBO likely felt his experience would be a good fit with Pizzolatto, who impressed with the first season of “True Detective” but struggled with the second installment. He’s said to have settled on a concept for Season 3 and has been working on scripts.

HBO declined to comment.

As Variety previously reported, HBO had been looking to make a change in the way the show is run, given the critical response to the second season, and presented Pizzolatto with a number of options, including working with a staff of writers and having a new showrunner come on board.

While the third season of “True Detective” was in flux, HBO inked a deal with Pizzolatto, keeping him at the network through 2018. Under the pact, Pizzolatto could develop new projects, in addition to working on future installments of “True Detective.” Pizzolatto is currently developing a “Perry Mason” series at HBO with Robert Downey Jr. set to star, though no new developments on that project have come to fruition, since Variety broke the news of the potential series.

The first season of “True Detective” starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The sophomore season starred Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, and Rachel McAdams.

Milch coming on board would mark a return to HBO for the creator of the cabler’s “Deadwood,” “John From Cincinnati,” and “Luck.” He is repped by ICM.

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