‘True Detective’ Duo Reunite Matthew McConaughey and Nic Pizzolatto Will Tackle a Mike Hammer Adaptation

Matthew McConaughey is circling a lead role that brings him back to the noir shadows, this time as legendary private eye Mike Hammer. The Oscar-winning actor is teaming up once again with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto for a feature adaptation of the gritty book series, Mike Hammer, which is being developed by Skydance.

As reported by Variety, Skydance recently secured the rights to the franchise created by crime author Mickey Spillane and expanded by Max Allan Collins. Pizzolatto will pen the script for the film, which has yet to receive a release date. The project marks the first time McConaughey and Pizzolatto have worked together since True Detective Season 1, the acclaimed 2014 HBO series that cemented both as genre heavyweights.

The Mike Hammer series, follows a tough, no-nonsense private investigator navigating the gritty streets of New York City. Known for his brutal methods and unwavering sense of justice, Hammer often finds himself entangled in violent cases involving corruption, murder, and femme fatales. The first novel, I, the Jury (1947), introduces Hammer as he seeks revenge for his best friend’s murder.

Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger will produce the film, alongside Guymon Casady of Entertainment 360. The producing team also includes Benjamin Forkner and Ken F. Levin. Max Allan Collins will serve as executive producer, and Jane Spillane is attached as a co-producer. Carin Sage is overseeing the production for Skydance.

For McConaughey, this marks a continued return to screen work following a multi-year pause. In a previous conversation with Variety, the actor explained, “I needed to write my own story, direct my own story on the page.” His latest film, The Rivals of Amziah King, marks his first lead role since 2019, with The Lost Bus, co-starring America Ferrera, also in the pipeline at Apple TV+.

Nic Pizzolatto, whose writing on True Detective earned him multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, continues to branch out beyond television. In addition to the Mike Hammer film, he has a series in development at Netflix and recently completed his feature directorial debut, Easy’s Waltz. His fiction has been translated into more than 30 languages, earning him literary acclaim before his transition to screenwriting.

While no official casting has been confirmed, McConaughey’s involvement signals a high-profile revival of a classic pulp icon. If the Hammer film captures the same atmospheric tension that defined True Detective, fans of brooding detectives and moral murk may be in for something sharp.

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