‘Dexter’ Star Michael C. Hall Explains How Revival Will Unfold in ‘Real Time’

With showrunners of the Golden Globe-winning crime drama Dexter finally taking a stab at a return following its contentious series finale in 2013, actor Michael C. Hall is opening up about why now is the “right time” to revisit everyone’s favorite homicidal forensic technical. After officially announcing a 10-episode order last October, Hall tells Entertainment Tonight that after years of talking and ideas being thrown around, this one felt relevant and timely.

“I’ve been approached, unofficially, many times in the streets by people who have ideas. [But] I think there have been probably, before this, three legitimate ideas or concepts of what we might do and none of them felt right. This one, a lot of it has to do with time passed,” Hall said, adding how the series will “happen in real time” as if as much time had passed following the finale. “We kind of just got the creative band back together again. Clyde Phillips is back, who was the showrunner for the first four seasons, running the show, and Marcos Siega, who is one of the directors.”

Hall goes on to add how Siega pitched it to him as to how they would “shoot it like a long, 10-hour movie,” becoming a blend of both the scripts and timing. “I always thought maybe the time will reveal itself when it’s the right time to do it and it did and I’m excited. I was just visiting the sets the other day and it’s real. It’s really happening,” he said.

The series, which initially ran from 2006 to 2013 for eight seasons, follows Dexter Morgan (Hall), who leads a double life as a forensic technician specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis for a Miami PD and a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers who have slipped through the cracks of the criminal justice system. The series finale, which saw mixed reactions from fans and has become one of the biggest watercooler discussions ever since, saw Dexter faking his own death following the death of his sister, Debra and is now working under a new persona as a lumberjack in Oregon. Hall acknowledges the response from fans, sharing how he appreciates their sentiments.

“From a story standpoint [and] from a character standpoint, it made sense to me what he did. But I certainly can appreciate why it left a majority of the viewers feeling left out in the cold or gypped or frustrated because he literally didn’t say anything at the end,” Hall said. “He had been talking to us the whole time and he just stared at the camera and it was over. He put his sister in the ocean. What the hell was that?”

Hall promises the revival will right some of the wrongs seen in the 96-episode series, originally adapted from Jeff Lindsey’s books. “The appetite for the reboot is a way facilitated by the fact that it was a less than satisfying ending for people. I want to find out what happened to the guy just as much as everybody else,” the Emmy-nominated actor said, adding his one hope the revival will address. “I don’t know if they’re going to go for it, but I’m angling for him to be running his own pizza restaurant just because, you know, I don’t need to explain why that would be awesome.”

The revival will begin filming in Massachusetts in February, with Showtime eyeing a Fall 2021 premiere. According to the press release from Showtime, Clancy Brown will star as the revival’s main villain, alongside a cast of Julia Jones (The Mandalorian), Alano Miller (Sylvie’s Love), Johnny Sequoyah (Believe) and Jack Alcott (The Good Lord Bird). It is unclear whether some of the more well-known faces from the original will be popping back in.

For more on Dexter, Showtime and all your favorite TV shows, keep it locked to PopCulture.com for the latest. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.