True Detective season 2 will be less dark then the acclaimed original season starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, according to HBO programming president Michael Lombardo who spoke at the Guardian International Television Festival in Edinburgh.

True DetectiveWoody Harrelson [L] and Matthew Mcconaughey [R] in 'True Detective'

Scripted once again by Nic Pizzolatto, the new season will feature a completely new story and cast of characters with a woman and two men in the leads. It is thought those characters will be played by Elisabeth Moss, Taylor Kitsch and Colin Farrell.

"It's still dark," Lombardo said at the festival. "Nic explores the darkness in people's souls. . It's not as dark, but it's not a light ride. Nic likes looking into the crevices of the soul."

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Filming on True Detective season 2 is expected to begin in September in California, with an air date sometime in 2015. Though the first season was directed solely by the hugely talented Cary Fukunaga, the second season will split duties amongst numerous filmmakers, according to Lombardo.

True DetectiveMatthew McConaughey in 'True Detective'

The network is yet to confirm names - though considering the silence of Moss, Farrell and Kitsch, it's safe to assume they are on-board. More intriguing is the rumor that Vince Vaughn will play the chief antagonist in the series. The problem is: despite an impressive and left-field string of names for the second season, McConuaghey and Harrelson set the bar so incredibly high that it may be difficult for others to compete.

The second season of the show is rumored to be set in a fictional California town, focusing on the the death of Ben Caspar, a corrupt city manager who is found brutally murdered amid a huge transportation deal that would change freeway gridlock in the state forever. Law enforcement officers from three different cities are tasked with hunting down the killer, though they quickly discover that the investigation has darker implications than initially thought.

'True Detective' is nominated for five Emmy Awards including drama series and lead actor for both McConaugey and Harrelson. Should it not win both of those, it would be a travesty. 

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