X-Files icon David Duchovny has been tapped to star as an LAPD detective on the trail of cult leader Charles Manson in NBC's gritty period drama Aquarius.
According to Variety, Duchovny has signed on for the initial 13-episode run, transitioning almost immediately from seven seasons on Showtime's hit show Californication. Plans for the new show likely got a significant boost from the recent success of True Detective.Set in the late '60s, Aquarius follows a detective and his younger partner on the trail of Manson, a petty criminal who is gathering young female followers to his strange cause. According to the show-runners (including NBC exec Bob Greenblatt, who worked with Duchovny on The X-Files at FOX), the series will not climax with the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders; the infamous killing spree which made Manson and his “Family” the center of public attention will likely be the focus of future episodes (assuming a second season is picked up.)
The premiere date for Aquarius has not yet been revealed, but stay tuned for more updates!