Variety broke the news that Rachel is closing in on the female lead of “True Detective“. HBO hasn’t confirmed the casting yet but it seems like it’s almost official. The following story has been reported:

Rachel McAdams is said to be locking down a lead role in season 2 of HBO’s “True Detective.”

Sources tell Variety HBO has offered McAdams the part opposite Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn. Taylor Kitsch is expected to land the role of the fourth lead.

Though HBO recently announced Farrell and Vaughn as the show’s leads, sources say fans could have a similar response to the female lead as they did to Matthew McConaughey’s part as Rust Cohle in season 1.

Several other actresses have been considered for the part, including Jessica Biel and Malin Akerman, but McAdams has been seen as the front-runner for the past few weeks. HBO could not immediately be reached for comment.

It came down to scheduling, as insiders tell Variety McAdams was about to start filming “Spotlight,” the drama revolving around the Catholic Church sex scandal uncovered by the Boston Globe, and it was unknown whether dates could be worked out for McAdams to do that film and “True Detective.” Sources say that in the past 24 hours, a deal was worked out where the actress could do both projects.

Justin Lin is set to direct the first two episodes of season 2. “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto has been busy writing the second season, which is set in California and revolves around three police officers and a career criminal who navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.

McAdams and Kitsch are expected to play cops alongside Farrell, while Vaughn plays the crime boss whose empire is threatened when his partner is murdered.

McAdams, repped by WME and Magnolia Entertainment, is already set to have a busy 2015 with the untitled Cameron Crowe pic and the Jake Gyllenhaal boxing pic “Southpaw” both bowing next year. She was most recently seen opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman in “A Most Wanted Man.”

Deadline is also confirming the story and saying Rachel is “in talks”:

It looks like the search for the female lead in the second season of True Detective is over. Rachel McAdams is the choice for the role and is in talks to join the lauded series when the HBO drama returns next year alongside Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn, who have been confirmed, and Taylor Kitsch, who is not official yet.

While the actors for the three main male parts were identified early on, the search for the lead female role was pretty extensive. McAdams was an early frontrunner but she didn’t read and had a potential scheduling issue with a movie. Last week, seven actresses read for creator Nic Pizzolatto. Of them, I hear he was particularly impressed by Brit Marling, who I hear met again. Over the past couple of days, the attention focused on McAdams, Marling as well as a late entry into the fray, Keira Knightley. Word started going around last night that McAdams was the choice and has been offered the role, information that was denied by her reps early this morning and reiterated later — after Variety posted a story claiming McAdams indeed has a formal offer.

The confirmed logline for Season 2 of True Detective is that it revolves around three police officers and a career criminal who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder. McAdams would play Ani Bezzerides, described in a circulated breakdown as a tough, no-nonsense Monterey Sheriff who is professional on the job and a drinker and a gambler off work.