Rian Johnson’s ‘Poker Face’ Could Be Revived by HBO

HBO

Marcos Melendez is an entertainment journalist who has been active since 2017. His past work can be read on Collider, Escapist, ScreenRant, CBR, and Full Circle Cinema. He is currently a News Editor for MovieWeb.

Rian Johnson is about to release his latest installment of his mystery Knives Out franchise, but he has another critically acclaimed series under his belt. In 2023, he debuted a new series on Peacock called Poker Face, a mystery thriller starring Natasha Lyonne with a star-studded guest cast. While reviews have been positive, it failed to get picked up for a third season. However, the series is being shopped elsewhere, and a major network has emerged as a contender to pick up Johnson’s radical new pitch.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, HBO CEO Casey Bloys reveals that they have had “conversations” about acquiring the pitch for Poker Face Seasons 3 and 4. While Peacock decided not to renew it after two seasons, Johnson is keen on reviving the show, with Peter Dinklage taking on the lead role of Charlie Cale. It’s a radical new direction for the series, which would now see a new actor in the lead every two installments. Bloys ultimately did not reveal if HBO and Johnson got far in their talks, but it seems to be a possibility for now.

“We heard the original take. and when I heard that Peacock wasn’t moving forward, we were curious. So we’ve had conversations, but I don’t know which way it’ll go. But I think Rian is a fantastic filmmaker, and I love the idea of Peter Dinklage, but I have nothing to report on that.”

As of this writing, it is still unclear if Poker Face will live to see the light of day on a new platform. Despite rave reviews and solid streaming numbers, Peacock decided to move on from the series, which employs a mystery-a-week formula and an extensive cast of guest stars. Read the show’s official synopsis:

Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.