Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson Reprise True Detective Roles, Boost Texas Film

It has been well over a decade since the first season of True Detective aired on HBO and effectively changed television forever. The concept of highly popular movie stars appearing in a serialized crime thriller seemed ridiculous, but Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson made icons out of the grizzled detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart, respectively.

McConaughey and Harrelson did not reprise their roles in subsequent seasons, as True Detective transformed into an anthology series that cycled out its cast with each iteration. However, McConaughey and Harrelson have reunited with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto for an even more important goal: bringing movie and film productions back to Texas.

The “True to Texas” campaign is aimed at creating attractive tax incentives to productions in the Lone Star State. A budget filed in the Texas Senate aimed at “making Texas the movie capital of the world” would include $48 million of grants to films and commercials, as well as an additional $450 million of new tax credits. Given that these credits require Texas residency, the budget would certainly give a leg up to local productions and the development of Texas artistry.

True Detective became a cultural touchstone thanks to Pizzolatto’s strange, highly philosophical dialogue, which was often spoken by Cohle and Hart as they took seemingly never ending car rides amidst their hunt for an elusive serial killer. Although the “True to Texas” spot ostensibly features McConaughey and Harrelson as themselves, the drawn out nature of their conversations is clearly intended to stoke nostalgia for True Detective. McConaughey even remarks that “Hollywood is a flat circle,” a reference to the iconic “time is a flat circle” quote from True Detective’s first season.

McConaughey and Harrelson are perhaps the two best known Texan actors in the industry right now, but they’re not the only icons that pop up in the spot. True Detective fans may have been used to seeing a suspect in the back seat of a car, but the ad features Dennis Quaid, the Houston-born actor, who discusses the importance of boosting the local economy. As McConaughey points out, a robust film industry means more participation in local markets, which would be a huge win for local businesses. Even your local barber would benefit, although McConaughey humorously notes that Harrelson probably doesn’t need one.
The car ride is interrupted by a call that McConaughey makes to Billy Bob Thornton, who is quietly in the midst of a career renaissance thanks to the success of Landman. Thornton may be from Arkansas, but he has a history of playing Texan characters, and remarks in the ad that he intends to shoot his future projects here if the initiative comes to pass. Quaid also takes time to call Renée Zellweger, another Texas icon, who remarks that she wishes that she “could bring some of these productions home to Texas.” This marks Zellweger’s first collaboration with McConaughey since the derided horror sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, which was primarily filmed in Pflugerville, Texas.

The four-minute short film takes the time to dispel many concerns about the budget, as Harrelson brings up the notion that it would be “money like corporate welfare for big Hollywood studios.” McConaughey takes the time to explain what the bill would actually do for “real Texas business owners and citizens,” as profits made from the investment would go back into improving the state itself.

Texas is the site in which many iconic films have been shot, including JFK, Robocop, Lone Star, The Rookie and There Will Be Blood among many others. However, there’s been growing trepidation that the state is falling behind because of superior tax incentives offered by other states. In a legislative meeting last October, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan expressed his dismay that his script for Hell or High Water was shot in New Mexico. Sheridan had intended for Hell or High Water to be a love letter to Texas, and stated he was frustrated that it “was shot west of where it should have been shot.”

Harrelson quips that this initiative could “turn this state into a new Hollywood,” but McConaughey also is keen to mention that it doesn't just stand to benefit A-listers. Commercials, music videos, independent films and corporate videos would also gain advantages, as would natives who could profit from an uptick in tourism. As evidence of what excellence the state was capable of, the advertisement was shot by the Emmy-nominated cinematographer Jimmy Lindsey through the company Texans In Texas.

Although the advertisement references the boost that hotels, transportation, local cuisine and service providers would receive, it's clear that the issue is also one of state pride. Quaid proudly proclaims that Texas has “the best culture,” and that more in-state production would lead to more films centered on the Lone Star spirit. It’s evident that audiences are seeking stories in both film and television that reflect Texan values and sensibilities. How else do you explain the ratings dominance of Yellowstone, or the impending reboot of Friday Night Lights?

While having three Oscar winners in the spot is sure to generate the most attention, the “True to Texas” commercial also reflects an intriguing comeback of sorts for Pizzolatto. Pizzolatto was born in New Orleans, but he has spent a majority of his professional career in Austin, where he resides. It’s evident that he has a true passion for the state, as he also penned the screenplay for the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven (which starred Austin native Ethan Hawke), as well as the indie thriller Galveston.