Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson Revisit True Detective Characters For New Ad


True Detective season 1 stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson revisit their roles as Rust Cohle and Marty Hart, respectively, for a new ad. Created by Nic Pizzolatto, the hit HBO anthology crime series premiered in 2014, following Rust and Marty across almost two decades as they attempt to uncover the truth behind a series of disturbing murders. The show was a hit, and though three more seasons have arrived since, with True Detective season 5 now on the way, Rust and Marty’s story in season 1 remains a fan-favorite.

11 years after their acclaimed outing in the HBO crime series, McConaughey and Harrelson return as their True Detective characters for a new True to Texas ad. McConaughey shares the ad on X, formerly Twitter, with the aim of encouraging film and TV production in the state of Texas through tax incentives.

For legal reasons, neither McConaughey nor Harrelson are called Rust or Marty in the video, but they each adopt their respective character’s personality, and some variations on Rust’s classic lines are even thrown in. Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, and Renée Zellweger also appear in the ad. Check out the video below:

True Detective season 1 was filmed in Louisiana.

What The True To Texas Ad Means For True Detective

Will Rust & Marty Get A Proper Return?

Though both McConaughey and Harrelson have a number of iconic roles under their belts, Rust and Marty remain some of their most beloved characters. McConaughey’s Rust was famously philosophical and nihilistic in the series, while Harrelson’s Marty was more down-to-Earth, often calling out the strangeness of his partner’s ramblings. True Detective season 1 remains the most acclaimed season in the show’s history, but neither Rust nor Marty have returned.

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There have been frequent calls for another True Detective season with Rust and Marty, but Pizzolatto, who remains on board as an executive producer, essentially shut the idea down in 2023. Pizzolatto shared a number of reasons why a Rust and Marty True Detective return won’t happen, including the fact that he would have to write a new season that both McConaughey and Harrelson loved on spec (without guarantee of payment or that it would get made), and that the cost to make such a season would be “considerable.” Check out Pizzolatto’s full comment below:

“I’d have to first write a story that I, the actors, and the network all loved. Loved so much it feels worth revisiting something we already did the right way. Then the actors would have to really want to do it. Then the network would have to foot the bill, which would be considerable. So that’s a lot. And it would start with me writing something on spec. Other than that, I could write a book without those constraints, but again, I’m doing other things and don’t have the time or inclination at present.”

Our Take On The True To Texas Ad

McConaughey & Harrelson Know How To Make A Mark

Rust and Marty examining the crime scene in True Detective Season 1, Episode 1

The fact that McConaughey and Harrelson returned to their True Detective characters for the ad suggests they know how beloved that first season is among fans of the show. It’s not clear how much the ad will actually move the needle when it comes to Texas tax incentives for movie and TV production, but the star power on display makes the ad likely to make a mark in terms of viewership. Going viral would certainly help get the attention of Texas lawmakers.

With how strong True Detective season 1’s ending was, perhaps it’s for the best that Rust and Marty won’t actually return. Even though McConaughey and Harrelson probably won’t get another True Detective season together, it was exciting to see the two actors recreating the dynamic that helped the show’s debut outing succeed.

Source: Matthew McConaughey

True Detective

Release Date

January 12, 2014

Network

HBO Max

Showrunner

Nic Pizzolatto

Directors

Cary Fukunaga

Writers

Nic Pizzolatto




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