'True Detective' season 2 air date nears as new trailer released

Colin Farrell in True Detective season 2HBO

HBO may be placing a lot of its efforts into season 5 of "Game of Thrones," but the network hasn't forgotten its other multi-award winning series, "True Detective." The first trailer for season 2 was released online, and the few scenes reveal the new cast and setting that will become this season's primary focus. 

"True Detective" was conceived as an anthology with each season introducing new characters, new settings, and new plots unrelated to those in the previous seasons. Season 1 focused in Louisiana and the police officers' hunt of a serial killer over several years. Season 2 shifts to California where three detectives are pooled together to solve a bizarre murder case. 

Colin Farrell will be taking over as the lead character, a corrupt detective named Ray Velcoro. Taylor Kitsch will be portraying war veteran and police officer Paul Woodrugh, while Rachel McAdams will be playing detective Ani Bezzerides. Vince Vaughn will take on the role of a career criminal known as Frank Semyon. 

All four will be forced to work together in order to unravel the conspiracies surrounding a bizarre murder first discovered by Paul Woodrugh. Series creator Nic Pizzolatto has not released any other details regarding the season's plot.

It has been reported by Cinema Blend that while the first season's characters, played by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, would not be in the next season, the show will retain the unique "duo dynamics" but will spread it across the four investigators. The series, according to the website, will not primarily take place in California's most popular locales such as Hollywood or downtown San Francisco. Instead, the season will focus on "lesser known venues." 

"True Detective" season 2 is scheduled to air starting June 21 with eight episodes total. Pizzolatto signed for a two-year extension immediately after the first few episodes of season 1, guaranteeing that the show would reach a third season.