Bay Area native and Academy-Award winning actor Mahershala Ali has signed on to star in the third installment of HBO's "True Detective."
The acclaimed actor, who was born in Oakland and was a basketball star at Saint Mary's College, will play an as-of-yet unnamed character in the third season of the detective anthology, HBO president of programming Casey Bloys confirmed at a press event on Wednesday.
“I have read five scripts for a third season,” Bloys said. “I’m very very impressed and excited about what I’ve read. I don’t want to give away the storyline, but I really think they’re terrific.”
As of yet, there is no word on a release date for the project; Boyd revealed that producers are still looking for a director to helm the series.
Following the announcement, Ali took to his Instagram to confirm the news.
Unlike "American Horror Story" and other popular anthologies, "True Detective" spins around a new cast for each installment. The first season, starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew Matthew McConaughey, premiered in 2014 to critical acclaim and quickly became a fan favorite, spawning memes and who-dun-it discussion threads.
Despite signing A-list talent in Rachel McAdams and Colin Farrel, the much-anticipated second season tanked with comparatively poor ratings and lukewarm reviews. After that, there were rumors that HBO would abandon efforts for a third season.
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Earlier this year, Ali made history as the first Muslim actor to win an Academy Award for his turn in 2016's Moonlight, a coming-of-age story about a young black man grappling with his sexuality and identity. In addition to independent projects, the 43-year-old has appeared in a spate of high-profile acting roles, including Hidden Figures, House of Cards and The Hunger Games franchise.
