Are you in the mood for more True Detective casting rumors? Of course you are: playing True Detective Casting Bingo has pretty much consumed the cultural corner of the Internet for several months. After news this week that Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn will be in the second season of the dark drama series – news that was not welcomed in some circles (some flat circles, perhaps?) – comes a little tidbit of news that none other than Keira Knightley is circling a role. Several actresses have been rumored to being close to winning the sole female lead: Elisabeth Moss, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Biel, and Jessica Chastain. Rachel McAdams appears to be the leading contender, but Deadline is reporting that “Rachel McAdams … appears to have a scheduling conflict with a movie, with Keira Knightley‘s name also entering the mix.” Deadline offered no proof that Knightley is interested in the role, but as with all True Detective casting gossip, just mentioning an actor’s name seems to be evidence enough that they are close to signing on to play.
Although there has been intense interest in the three male leads (Taylor Kitsch is said to be a hair’s breadth from signing a contract to play the third man in the series), it’s the sole female lead role that has gained the most attention, mainly due to the criticism that the show received over its portrayal of women. Knightley is probably the biggest star to be considered; she’s about to be seen with Benedict Cumberbatch in what will be serious Oscar fodder, The Imitation Game. As Vanity Fair comments, “Knightley and her movie-star charisma (which outshines not only Dawson, but also Farrell and Vaughn) may be just the thing to even the playing field.” Incidentally, Michelle Monaghan, the only woman to appear in all eight episodes of the series, dismissed the show’s apparent misogyny, saying recently to Vanity Fair, “I really thought that that was just such a misguided criticism. I kept waiting and [saying] ‘O.K., just keep watching, just keep watching.’ I thought people might view it differently after they saw the season as a whole.”
