We haven’t seen a soliddetective crime serieslikeTrue DetectiveorThe Wirein a while. Even though this year has been a feast for spy action dramas such asEcho 3andThe Recruit, viewers are hungry for more crime drama thrillers. With the debut of a brand-new tv seriesWill Trent, the year ahead looks promising for fans of detective crime series.
Will Trent, based on Karin Slaughter’s novel series of the same name, has beenpicked up by ABCfor a pilot starring Ramon Rodriguez and directed byInside Man’s Paul McGuiganandAmerican Horror Story’s Howard Deutch. The moment has finally arrived for the Slaughter books to be adapted to the screen. While we’re at it, here’s everything we know about the upcoming detective crime drama’s first season,Will Trent.
Will Trent Season 1: The Plot
As the title implies, the story follows Will Trent, who, after being abandoned at a young age, endures several hardships and grows up in the harsh realities of the world. Despite witnessing the darkest aspects of life, he chooses to become a person who can make the world a better place for others like him rather than a criminal.
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After dedicating himself to becoming a special agent in Atlanta’s foster care home, he joined the George Bureau of Investigations and even achieved the highest clearance rate in the bureau. With his unique perspective on the world, he would do anything to protect abandoned individuals.
The series pits him against crimes such as homicide, which appear to be solvable with evidence but take different turns over time. Can Trent solve the cases and prove that everything he’s been doing with his life has been worthwhile, or will he doubt his life choices along the way?
According to the trailer, the series providesa fresh criminal investigationtouch and an amusing main character who dresses up in a three-piece suit and apprehends bad guys. Apparently, the series adapts the first book,Will Trent: Triptych, with minor modifications to the plot.
Will Trent Season 1: The Cast & Crew
The series will be anchored by Ramon Rodriguez, who will play Will Trent, the determined detective with the highest clearance rate in GBI. The actor is well-known for his performances inTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen,Need for Speed,Battle Los Angeles, andMarvel’s Iron Fist.
As Faith Mitchell, Iantha Richardson will work with him as a co-detective to solve the crimes. Richardson has appeared on television shows such asAmerican Soul,This Is Us,andGood Trouble. Meanwhile, Angie Polaski will be played by Erika Christensen, who has previously acted inSwimfan,Flightplan,The Perfect Score, andTraffic.
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While these characters appear to have more screen time, additional members of the supporting cast include Deion Smith as Jeremey Mitchell, Jake Mclaughlin as Michael, Isaiah Stratton as Officer O’Hara, Todd Allen Durkin as Captain Dennis Heller, Cora Lu Tan as Nico, and Jennifer Morrison as Abigail Campano.
As previously stated, the series is directed by Howard Deutch and Paul McGuigan. While the former has previously worked onAmerican Horror Story,Young Sheldon, andCSI: Cyber, the latter is well-known for his work onLucky Number Slevin,Wicker Park,Victor Frankenstein, andThe Acid House. Liz Heldens, who wrote thescripts forFriday Night Lights,The Passage,The Orville, andDeception, and Daniel T. Thomsen, who worked onBatwomanandWestworld, share writing credits and serve as executive producers on the series.
Release Date
Based on Karin Slaughter’sNew York Times bestselling novels,Will Trentwill premiere on ABC and Hulu in the United States on June 01, 2025, and will be picked up by Disney+ as a Star Original internationally.
Everything Else We Know
Some viewers might not be familiar with the novel series that inspired this adaptation. It does, however, consist of ten books, the first of which isTriptych. According toDeadline, when ABC picked up the pilot, the creators intended to create a more serialized narrative with multiple episodes. ABC, on the other hand, insisted on adapting the series as stand-alone episodes. This begs another question: Will the crime events in the series be based exclusively on the first book,Triptych, or will they be based on subsequent volumes in the novel series as well?
Not necessarily, because given that the series outlined that it only adapted Karin Slaughter’s first novel, using ideas from her previous works is illogical. Nonetheless, the novel’s plot will undergo several alterations as improvised by the scriptwriters. Furthermore, even if each episode is a stand-alone, it is crucial to follow the book series if the show needs to run for a long time in the future.
