True Detective Season 5: Nicolas Cage and Antonio Banderas Lead, Issa López Returns

HBO has cast Nicolas Cage and Antonio Banderas as the leads of True Detective season 5. Cage plays Henry Logan; Banderas plays Rai Garcia.

Issa López, who made season 4, Night Country, is back as showrunner, writer and director.

What's confirmed

• Leads: Nicolas Cage (Henry Logan) and Antonio Banderas (Rai Garcia)

• Showrunner, writer and director: Issa López

• Setting: Jamaica Bay, New York, according to trade reports

• Filming: expected to begin in 2027

• Network: HBO

HBO has kept the story locked away. The little that's out there says this is a new story with new characters, but with connections to what happened in Alaska in Night Country.

The casting

Cage on a prestige HBO crime show is the headline. He has spent a decade making strange, singular choices, some brilliant and some baffling, and True Detective is exactly the kind of show that rewards an actor who commits all the way. Banderas, whose recent work includes Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, brings a different energy: warmer, older, heavier with history.

(Cage's own name has been a talking point this year; we explained the Coppola rebrand back in May.)

The López question

Night Country divided viewers. Many critics liked it; a vocal section of fans of the 2014 original did not. HBO bringing López back for a second season is a vote of confidence in her version of the show, and a sign the network isn't trying to rebuild season 1.

What we don't know

Anything about the plot, the rest of the cast, or a release date. With filming not starting until 2027, don't expect to watch this any time soon.

For more series coverage, see Binge On Demand.

Frequently asked questions

Who is in True Detective season 5?

Nicolas Cage plays Henry Logan and Antonio Banderas plays Rai Garcia. No other cast has been announced.

Who is making True Detective season 5?

Issa López, who ran season 4, Night Country, is returning as showrunner, writer and director.

Where is True Detective season 5 set?

Jamaica Bay, New York, according to trade reports.

When will True Detective season 5 come out?

No date has been announced. Filming is expected to start in 2027.