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HBO finally confirmed Rachel joining the “True Detective” season two cast alongside Taylor Kitsch, Kelly Reilly, Colin Farrell, & Vince Vaughn yesterday. Be sure to check out our previous post in case you missed it. It’s such an anticipated project after the critical and commercial success of the first season so there have been many reports about the second season. We already made a casting update news round-up a few days ago but now that Rachel is confirmed we also wanted to round up reports with – possible – details about season 2. Keep in mind that the reports might contain spoilers about the plot.

The Story
HBO’s official logline for the second season is: Three police officers and a career criminal must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder. The three police officers will be played by Colin Farrell as Ray Velcoro, Taylor Kitsch as Paul Woodrugh, and Rachel as Ani Bezzerides. Vince Vaughn will play the criminal Frank Semyon. Deadline reported back in August that season 2 “will kick off with a murder, and it might involve corruption in the California transportation system, possibly linked to a proposed high-speed train”. They also reported that the second season is expected to have 4 leads, three of them said to be cops/detectives/government workers and one the villain.

The Characters
HBO has only confirmed Rachel, Farrell, Vaughn, Kitsch, and Reilly but there have been many reports about other actors being in talks or joining the cast for recurring roles. Below a list with an overview, in alphabetical order:

Adria Arjona as Emily [recurring], Paul Woodrugh’s (Taylor Kitsch) girlish but practical girlfriend [Source].

Ronnie Gene Blevins [guest arc] as a long-standing company man to Vaughn’s character [Source].

Christian Campbell as Richard Brune [recurring], the therapist husband of Alicia (Abigail Spencer) [Source].

Lolita Davidovich as Nancy Simpson [recurring], Paul Woodrugh’s (Taylor Kitsch) mother, a girly girl, a former showgirl continually sucking on cigarettes and margaritas as she mourns the loss of male sexual attention. What little of her hopes remain she has transferred onto her adult son, who, in her eyes, is God’s gift to women [Source].

Colin Farrell as Ray Velcoro [principal], a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him [Source].

James Frain as Jeff Hunt [recurring], a ruthless police lieutenant [Source].

Michael Hyatt as Katherine Davis [recurring], a driven state attorney [Source].

Michael Irby as Elvis Ilinca [recurring 5-6 episodes], Ani Bezzerides’s (Rachel McAdams) partner at the police department [Source].

Chris Kerson as Nails [recurring], the survivor of a brutal nail gun attack and devoted company man to Frank Semyon (Vaughn) [Source].

Taylor Kitsch as Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle officer for the California Highway Patrol, running from a difficult past and the sudden glare of a scandal that never happened [Source].

CS Lee as Richard Geldof, a state attorney general with grand political ambitions. Described as smooth and polished, the character is well spoken and intelligent, with an unmoored moral compass [Source].

Jon Lindstrom as Glenn Ellinger, a patrician businessman who wears his immense power lightly, but wields it definitively [Source].

Yara Martinez as Andrea [recurring], a Mexican-American immigrant who runs an inn [Source].

Rachel McAdams as Ani Bezzerides, a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective whose uncompromising ethics put her at odds with others and the system she serves [Source]. Also reportedly described as a tough, no-nonsense Monterey Sheriff who is professional on the job and a drinker and a gambler off work [Source].

Timothy V. Murphy as a Russian gangster Osip Agranov [Source].

Afemo Omilami as Police Chief Holloway [recurring] [Source].

Leven Rambin as Sophia [recurring], a beauty with a history of drug problems [Source].

Kelly Reilly as Jordan [recurring/supporting], Frank Semyon’s (Vince Vaughn) wife, a former D-list actress who is a full partner in his enterprises and ambitions [Source].

Emily Rios as Gabby Behenna [guest arc], traumatized by life in a traumatic family [Source].

Riley Smith as Steve Mercier, a boyish Sheriff’s deputy and Ani Bezzerides’s (Rachel McAdams) boyfriend [Source].

Abigail Spencer as Alicia, the survivor of a sexual attack [Source].

Vince Vaughn as Frank Semyon [principal], a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner [Source].

The Wrap (& Collider) reported additional information about the main characters early August.

Fun facts
• There have been many names linked to the series. Early reports reported possible involvement of Joaquin Phoenix, Christian Bale, Josh Brolin, and Jessica Chastain. There has also been speculation about Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett being eyed for the leading parts [Source]. The Wrap later reported Chastain and Bale “passed on the project due to scheduling issues”.
• The Wrap reported mid-September that Brit Marling, Oona Chaplin, Kelly Reilly, Jessica Biel, Malin Akerman, Jaimie Alexander, and Rosario Dawson got invited back to read for Ani Bezzerides part. Deadline reported Abigail Spencer was also invited to read and that the actresses might have been eyed for other roles. Deadline later added that Keira Knightley was also considered for the part of Ani Bezzerides.
• Rachel just wrapped up filming “Spotlight” on Friday so it appears she will be working back-to-back now since the production of “True Detective” already started.
• “Red Eye” director Wes Craven showed his support for Rachel’s casting by tweeting “She’d be wonderful”.

The Production
Filming already began last week in California. It has been reported by various outlets, including Variety, that season two will have multiple directors this season. HBO confirmed Justin Lin as director of the first two episodes. Nic Pizzolatto, who created the series and will continue to write every episode, told THR earlier this year that he is intimately involved with the casting and that a move to multiple directors for season two has more to do with being able to move at a faster production pace. Colin Farrell told The Sunday World (via Metro UK) they are expected to film for about 4-5 months.

HBO programming director Michael Lombardo previously revealed that season 2 is expected to air in the Summer of 2015.

Special thanks again to my friends Nick, Amanda, & Jord for contributing to this post