HBO Doubles Down on Issa López, Orders ‘True Detective’ Season 5 From the ‘Night Country’ Showrunner

Looks like the True Detective: Night Country haters aren’t getting HBO down. Issa López, the writer, director and producer behind True Detective‘s record-smashing fourth season, has been tapped to make True Detective Season 5. Not only that, but López has also inked a new multiyear overall deal with HBO to create content exclusively for the premium cable channel and the streaming platform Max.

The announcement comes days after True Detective: Night Country‘s finale premiered, dividing viewers and earning online outrage from none other than the franchise’s creator, Nic Pizzolatto. Nevertheless, True Detective Season 4 earned rave reviews from critics — the latest installment of the series has the highest critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes — and is the most-watched season to date, with 12.7 million cross platform viewers.

Clearly, HBO is happy with López’s work. HBO shared in a press release that Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said, “Issa Lopez is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO’s creative spirit. She helmed True Detective: Night Country from start to finish, never once faltering from her own commendable vision, and inspiring us with her resilience both on the page and behind the camera. Alongside Jodie and Kali’s impeccable performances, she’s made this installation of the franchise a massive success, we are so lucky to have her as part of our family.”

“From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life,” López added in the same press release. “HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with Casey, Francesca and the whole team is a dream come true. I can’t wait to go again.”

When Decider chatted with López before True Detective: Night Country‘s debut, she was open to potentially making another season of True Detective, but cautioned that it all depended on the audience’s reaction to the season.

“Never say never,” López said. “I think it’s all dependent on how this connects with audiences, you know, and then we’ll see.”

“I do have movies that are ready to go and I need to make, but that I stopped to make this. But on the other hand, it was such a beautiful experience. It’s all about how much people like it, I guess.”

The one thing López did share was we shouldn’t expect to see more from True Detective: Night Country‘s Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) or Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis).

“I don’t see a Day Country,” she said with a laugh, “because there is a long summer, you know.”

“I think that these characters went through such a journey of discovery and acceptance that I don’t know if on the other side they’re as entertaining. Because part of why they’re entertaining is because they are terrible with their own souls and with everybody else. They’re brutal. If they come on the other side, how fun are they still?”