As the second season of HBO's True Detective approaches, some fans are wondering just how much the series will change.

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Creator Nic Pizzolatto has gathered a new cast and new case for the crime drama for its sophomore campaign, trading in season one's ritualistic murder of a young woman in a Louisiana field for the murder of a city manager in California.

On Dec. 27, True Detective Rumors called into question whether season one's "supernatural flair" will be returning next year. While the first season was indeed grounded in reality, the fan site maintained that it had "toyed with" viewers throughout the season.

This mystique, which hung on the line between the fantasy and reality, was apparent from the moment Rust (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty (Woody Harrelson) found the first victim of their case posed in prayer. As the detectives pursued the "yellow king" there was a consistent sense of strangeness to the crimes, which had to do with the constant possibility of occult involvement.  

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The fact that Pizzolatto is penning all of the new episodes suggests that there won't be too much of a shift in terms of tone. Remnants of Rust's iconic metaphysical musings will likely linger, but part of the program's consistent style had come from director Cary Fukunaga. The subdued color palest and long takes had originally been brought to the table by the Emmy-winning director.

Since Fukunaga won't be returning in 2015, HBO is bringing in new directors, which could impact the style of the popular crime drama. So far the only confirmed director for season two is Fast and Furious alum Justin Lin, who could possibly bring a faster pace and sharper edge to the series in comparison to Fukunaga's subtleties.

The show's second season will star Vince Vaughn (career criminal Frank Semyon), Colin Farrell (Detective Ray Velcoro), Rachel McAdams (Detective Ani Bezzerides), and Taylor Kitsch (Officer Paul Woodrugh).

True Detective returns on HBO for a second season mid-2015.

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