Nicolas Cage in Talks to Star in ‘True Detective’ Season 5

Nicolas Cage is nearing a deal to star in “True Detective” Season 5 at HBO, Variety has learned from sources.

Details are being kept under tight wraps on the new season, but it was revealed earlier this year that Season 5 will be set in the Jamaica Bay area of New York City.

Cage would be the latest high-profile star to take on a leading role in “True Detective.” Leads of past seasons include Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Mahershala Ali, and Jodie Foster. Harrelson, McConaughey, Ali, and Foster all earned Emmy nominations for their respective seasons, while Foster won both an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for her work in Season 4.

Reps for HBO declined to comment.

This would also mark just the second lead television role Cage has taken on in his storied career. It was revealed in 2024 that Cage would play Spider-Man Noir in a live-action series for MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video. The show does not have an official release date at the time of this publishing but is slated to debut in 2026.

Cage is one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, having won the Academy Award for best actor for “Leaving Las Vegas” and getting a nomination in the same category for “Adaptation.” He is also known for his starring roles in films like “Moonstruck,” “Raising Arizona,” “Face/Off,” and the “National Treasure” and “Ghost Rider” films. His recent projects include “Pig,” “Longlegs,” “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” “Dream Scenario,” and “Renfield.”

He is repped by WME, Stride Management, and Goodman Genow.

“True Detective” was renewed for a fifth season in February 2024 following the success of Season 4, a.k.a. “True Detective: Night Country.” Issa López is returning as writer and showrunner under her overall deal with HBO. Per HBO, Season 4 was the most-watched installment of the show to date, with 12.7 million cross platform viewers.