Nicolas Cage in Talks for True Detective Season 5—and Fans Are Already Losing It
After Longlegs, Cage is switching sides—from serial killer to New York detective Henry Logan in HBO’s next chapter.
Fresh off terrifying audiences as a sadistic serial killer in last year's indie horror hit Longlegs, Nicolas Cage is reportedly ready to swap sides of the law. According to Deadline, Cage is in talks to star in HBO's True Detective season 5 as New York cop Henry Logan. Discussions have been ongoing for some time, but the deal hasn't closed yet.
This would mark Cage's first major HBO role, and it has already sent fans into overdrive. On Reddit, one user summed up the reaction bluntly: "Now we're f**cking talking!"
Another added, "Nicolas Cage has been on an incredible streak lately, and I'm all for it!" Not everyone is convinced, though. One fan warned,
"Serious, toned-down Nic Cage could absolutely work. Batshit off the walls Nic Cage, not so much."
While many are picturing Cage's wilder performances, this wouldn't be his first time playing a detective hunting a killer. In 2013's The Frozen Ground, he portrayed Alaska state trooper Jack Halcombe opposite John Cusack as a serial murderer. That film proved he could carry a more grounded cop role, a quality HBO will be counting on if this deal goes through.
Where season 5 is headed
True Detective is HBO's acclaimed anthology crime series that has, since 2014, reinvented itself with each new season. Season 1 gave us Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as haunted Louisiana detectives. Season 4, released earlier this year, brought in Jodie Foster and Kali Reis for a chilling case in Alaska. Both seasons won praise for blending prestige drama with unsettling noir mysteries.
Season 5, however, will pivot again. Issa López — who wrote and ran season 4 — is returning as showrunner, but the story moves to Jamaica Bay, New York, signaling a completely different vibe from the snowbound horror of Alaska.
Cage isn't the first star HBO had to wait on. Jodie Foster's deal for season 4 also took months to finalize, according to Deadline. The clock is ticking, though. Production on season 5 is scheduled to begin in 2026, with HBO and Max eyeing a 2027 premiere.