Nicolas Cage, 61, set to take on major HBO TV role

Nicolas Cage is reportedly heading into the crime drama genre with his first-ever television series lead on the upcoming fifth season of HBO's True Detective.

According to sources familiar with the production, Cage, 61, will portray Henry Logan, a New York City detective ensnared in a case set in the Jamaica Bay neighbourhood.

The new season is expected to begin filming in 2026 and air in 2027.

Previous seasons have featured Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams, Mahershala Ali, and most recently, Jodie Foster and Kali Reis.

Series creator Nic Pizzolatto wrote the first three seasons.

After stepping away, Issa Lopez took over as writer and showrunner, delivering a fanominal fourth season, which followed Detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Reis) through the haunting disappearance of eight researchers in Alaska.

Lopez is returning to lead season five.

Despite early skepticism from viewers about heavy CGI in episode one, the fourth season gained strong momentum, with praise mounting for its performances and eerie atmosphere.

Foster in particular was praised for her portrayal of Danvers in the emotionally charged finale.

First premiering in 2014, True Detective captivated audiences with its original Louisiana-set storyline.

The debut season, starring McConaughey and Harrelson, remains one of the most revered TV crime dramas in recent memory.

Season two relocated to California with a tangled web of corruption and a divided cast of law enforcement and criminals.

Season three returned to a more meditative tone, following two Arkansas detectives grappling with a decades-old child abduction case.

Cage's involvement in True Detective follows his recent appearance in the 2024 horror film Longlegs, where he portrayed a terrifying serial killer.