Last year, I tried to do some recaps of True Detective Season 2. I wanted to believe that Season 1 was not a fluke, that writer/creator Nic Pizzolatto knew what he was doing, that there was some point to all of it. I was wrong to believe. True Detective Season 2 was the WORST. It was sh-tty storytelling, lazy writing, and – speaking as a police procedural fan – featured some of the shoddiest on-screen police work since The Killing. I vowed to never watch another season of True Detective again. I also vowed to avoid anything having to do with Nic Pizzolatto. HBO is probably going to shuffle away their contract for True Detective Season 3, but Pizzolatto still has some kind of arrangement with HBO, and now he’s working on a new series for the channel. A series with… Robert Downey Jr. And it might be Perry Mason?! This is just bizarre.
Robert Downey Jr. may be on the list of feature stars turning (or in his case, returning) to the small screen. The Iron Man star is teaming with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto for a drama at HBO. Details about the project are being kept under wraps and it’s unclear if there are any official deals as of yet, but Pizzolatto will pen the script and Downey will star.
Sources say the project may be based on Downey’s long-gestating Perry Mason reboot, which rather than a Warner Bros. Pictures feature is now being eyed for the small screen with Downey’s wife and producing partner, Susan Downey of Team Downey, set to exec produce with the actor.
HBO declined comment. For Downey, should the HBO project move forward, it would mark his return to the small screen following his role on Fox’s Ally McBeal.
Pizzolatto, meanwhile, has an overall deal with HBO stemming from True Detective, with new HBO programming president Casey Bloys telling reporters July 30 that the anthology “is not dead.” The pay cabler has Pizzolatto locked in through 2018, and Bloys revealed the writer does not have an idea for a third season but is “busy working on some other projects” at the moment — which might indicate his collaboration with Downey.
Who ever thought a rebooted Perry Mason show would include long-takes of Perry sitting on a couch, expounding on nothingness and chaos? Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually intrigued by the idea of RDJ rebooting Perry Mason in general, but not with Nic Pizzolatto writing the words. No.
*cut to an aerial shot of a river and a bridge, holds on that image for a full minute*
No. No to Nic Pizzolatto’s self-aggrandizing “BUT WHAT IS MASCULINITY?” crap.
Anyway, even if RDJ and Pizzolatto are collaborating, I do have my doubts that it would be on a Perry Mason reboot. It’s probably something else entirely. Like, RDJ plays a retired cop with a drinking problem and a bad wig and he spends ten episodes talking to a dog about The Last Case.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Fame/Flynet.
Ok, I’m gonna be it: Para Que?? Who sent for this?
Nic is from Louisiana and he is first cousins with my child’s godfather.
I’m sure he knows what is going on but I hope he gets some of his connections involved in helping somehow.
I feel like if you are from Louisiana, you have an obligation to at least mention it publicly. (I’m looking at you Ellen)
How did season 2 of True Detective not destroy his career? Because that was a flaming pile of doody. Season 1 was so good. So good that I started rewatching it last night. The only reason I would ever rewatch season 2 is to see that awesome house that Vince Vaughan lived in at the beginning of the series. Yes. House pron is the only redeeming part of season 2.
Because HBO and Nic will have to admit that the reason Season 1 was fantastic was because of Cary Fukinawa and no one wants to do that. They thought they did not need them and that was the result.
This is probably pretty close to the truth!
Yep, I agree! Cary Fukunaga made the first season great! The moody, sensual-sad, creeping feel to it was all him. He drew amazing, nuanced performances out of great actors too and that is what made it great. In the hands of a lesser director it would not have been the success that it was.
i dont think RDJ is good enough to sub in for raymond burr
I don’t think that there will be some kind of finushed product of whatever this project is. There is no set big enough to hold the egos of those two together.