True Detective 3 to film in Arkansas

The third season of True Detective will be set and filmed in Arkansas with Oscar-winning Moonlight actor Mahershala Ali playing Arkansas State Police Detective Wayne Hays.

Stephen Dorff and Carmen Ejogo are also among the cast of the latest run with Jeremy Saulnier (Green Room) and the show’s creator, Nic Pizzolatto lining up to direct.

The plot centres on a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks in the northwest of the state with the action playing out over three separate timeframes.

Arkansas offers a 20% benefit on all qualified production and post-production costs in connection with the production of a state-certified project.

Apart from the mountainous region of the Ozarks, Arkansas offers flat, agricultural land in the east and period towns in both areas – which are within 20 miles of state capital Little Rock.

Mike Preston, director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, said of the decision to film the show locally: “This is the largest and most expensive production we’ve ever had in the state. With an estimated year from start to finish, we know that local businesses and vendors will enjoy a boon from the production.”

It is hoped that the high-profile drama will boost the film-friendly profile of the state, which has previously hosted features including Sling Blade, God’s Not Dead and Daddy and Them.

Mahershala Ali photo via Getty Images Ent/C Flanigan.