<em>True Detective</em> Season 5: Everything We Know So Far

True Detective sleuths, our cold case is back on. A clue just came in from the anonymous tip line about the whereabouts for a season 5 lead actor, which The Hollywood Reporter says is quickly narrowing down our suspects. Nicolas Cage (The Surfer, Longlegs) is reportedly "deep in talks" to star in the next season of True Detective, which will presumably follow a new case and a new location beyond Night Country's bitter Alaskan winter.

If the news is true, True Detective season 5 would mark one of Cage's first real forays into TV, following his upcoming role in Prime Video's Spider-Man Noir series. The prolific movie star previously only hosted a brief docuseries on Netflix titled History of Swear Words. He's also signed on to portray John Madden in David O. Russell's next sports biopic.

Though we've seemingly left Ennis for good, the sheer popularity of True Detective: Night Country's season finale ensured that the series would continue. Deadline reported that it was the most-watched season of True Detective in the anthology series' history. Unlike True Detective's complicated web of murders, it was a no-brainer for HBO to renew the series for season 5.

Issa López, the showrunner and writer of Night Country, will also return for more True Detective stories. "From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life," López said in the official press release. "HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with [HBO content chief] Casey [Bloys], [HBO head of drama] Francesca [Orsi] and the whole team is a dream come true. I can't wait to go again."

There are still many questions that need answers from season 4—the tongue, people!—so it's a bit of a bummer that we're likely leaving Night Country to begin a new mystery. Still, is it possible that we haven't seen the last of Foster and Navarro?

Read on for everything we know so far about True Detective season 5.

Will the mystery continue in season 5?

As much as the title True Detective: Season 5 – Night Country (Part 2) sends shivers down my spine, it seemed like a great idea for the show before the season finale. There were a lot of story threads to pull together, which was made evident by the number of mysteries still left up to interpretation when the credits rolled. While it would be amazing to return to Ennis in Night Country Part 2, HBO hasn't announced that Jodie Foster and Kali Reis's mystery will continue past the final episode.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, López did tease that the cast has been begging her to think about returning for season 2 but that she felt it would be a "disservice" to the characters. "I was on the train between Paris and London with Jodie and Kali, and they were like, 'But you did think about it, right?' " López said. "I was like, 'Well, first of all, it would take place during the long day. … Oh, I shouldn’t have said that.' So it's very tempting because it was a joy and we miss each other, and it turned out so well, and people loved it. ... But I do feel that the characters grew. It's a lot more boring to do drama about grown people than people that need growth. So I don't think I'll do it."

Still, López didn't rule out revisiting True Detective with a completely new plot and characters. "I can't answer that yet," she revealed, but "we will know very shortly." Thanks to HBO's quick renewal, we have our answer.

Every season of True Detective kicks off a new murder case with a pair of big-name stars playing detectives, so it's almost a given that season 5 will do the same. Still, season 4 branched out from the show's norm with Night Country. Not only did the series add a subtitle, but it also swapped showrunner Nic Pizzolatto for López. That, of course, came with its own drama. Season 5 could see True Detective continue to take risks in unexpected ways. Check back here later in the year to find out just what lies ahead.