HBO's "True Detective' is gearing up for its second season with some major changes in its format. The police detective sub-genre became a smash hit for the entirety of its eight-episode run and served as a strong showcase for lead actors Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

Show runner Nic Pizzolatto has recently confirmed that Season 2 will have a different story, and different characters. Pizzolatto also said that McConaughey and Harrelson will not be returning to the show.

In casting news, Christian Bale has reportedly turned down the lead role for "True Detective' Season 2, as the series continues to try to find replacements for the Emmy-nominated McConaughey and Harrelson. Bale is instead leaning towards "The Deep Blue Good-By', a film adaptation of John D. McDonald's novel of the same name.

Bale is not the only actor who has been rumored to be a possible part of the show. The actors who have been linked to "True Detective' are Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Michael Fassbender, Josh Brolin, Joaquin Phoenix, and Colin Farell. There have been no statements or confirmations from any of the actors mentioned as of this time.

The highly-anticipated second season of the show is expected to move from Louisiana to California when it returns next year.

"Not Los Angeles, but some of the lesser known venues of California and we're going to try to capture a certain psychosphere ambience of the place, much like what we did with Season 1. The characters are all new, but I am deeply in love with all of them," said Pizzolatto when he sat down for an interview with radio program, "To The Best of Our Knowledge".

Though HBO has not yet confirmed its official air date, but "True Detective' Season 2 is reported to premiere on January 2015.