Not even a year from its premiere, and True Detective Season 3 already has a body count. Reports indicate director Jeremy Saulnier has stepped away after only a handful of episodes, and will be replaced by an Americans favorite.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Green Room director Saulnier apparently completed work directing two episodes of the new season, but had to depart over scheduling conflicts. Saulnier was always going to split directing duties with franchise helmer Nic Pizzolatto, though The Americans vet Daniel Sackheim will now take Saulnier’s place. The series famously struggled to outdo Cary Fukunaga’s directorial work in Season 1, and Season 3 was supposedly dependent on landing a director like Saulnier.

Elsewhere of True Detective Season 3, Moonlight Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali will play Northwest Arkansas state police detective Wayne Hays, alongside Stephen Dorff as his partner, The Girlfriend Experience star Carmen Ejogo as a schoolteacher connected to two missing children, and recurring roles for Justice League star Ray Fisher, Scoot McNairy and Mamie Gummer. Series creator Nic Pizzolatto will serve as Season 3’s primary writer, aided by Deadwood boss David Milch, who directs the fourth episode. Pizzolatto will also showrun, while executive producers include Scott Stephens, Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey and Fukunaga.

True Detective Season 3 is likely to premiere in 2019. Stay tuned for the latest in the meantime.

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