CHRISTOPHER Eccleston is set to continue the trend of well-known Lancashire-born stars to play prominent roles in the much-loved American anthology series. David Thewlis recently gave an excellent turn in season three of Fargo, and now Eccleston is set to play a key role in season four of True Detective.
The new season of Nic Pizzolatto’s gritty series is set for release in January 2024, and will also star Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. Fans of Eccleston will relish seeing him in a serious role for the first time since Close to Me in 2021.
What Do We Know About the New Season of True Detective?
True Detective burst onto the scene in 2014 and was a critical sensation thanks to its immersive story and star turn from Matthew McConaughey. The anthology series returned for seasons two and three with different high-profile actors in the cast. Now, it’s set for a new outing as True Detective: Night Country, which will take place in Alaska during winter. That means there’s going to be no sunlight, hence the name.
Eccleston is one of a few major players in the series, alongside another star-studded cast. The main attraction is Foster, in her first major television role since the 1970s. She has appeared in various shows such as The X-Files and The Simpsons, but only as a voice actor. It will be exciting to see her in action over a limited series, where she has the chance to dig deep into the role.
Series Should Expand to Attract More Viewers
Although most seasons of True Detective have been highly rated critically, the series is not considered one of HBO’s blockbusters. The likes of Game of Thrones and The Last of Us sit in that bracket, and they have attracted massive audiences thanks to franchises that have spread out into games as well. Having actors like Eccleston on board will help True Detective appeal to more people in the UK, but it would also make sense for the franchise to expand.
Narcos is a great example of a crime series that shot to worldwide attention thanks to its expansion into related media. The Netflix series gained millions of viewers through related games, such as Narcos Rise of the Cartels. There was also the Narcos online casino site game, which was so popular that it led to another entry, Narcos: Mexico. This helped to boost the spinoff to the main series and draw even more viewers in.
True Detective is coming into its fourth season now, so it’s about time that it starts to build a legacy. HBO could look to replicate Narcos in this way and mirror the success of the Netflix offering. It would certainly help to make more people aware of the series and boost its viewership.
Eccleston fans always love to see him taking on new roles, and it’s great to see his Lancashire charm in American titles. Not much is known about his role in Night Country yet, but it‘s bound to be good.