‘Presumed Innocent’: Apple Orders Limited Series Adaptation from David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams!!

Apple TV+ has announced that they have ordered a limited series based on Scott Turow‘s acclaimed novel Presumed Innocent. The eight-episode series will be headed up by Multi-Emmy Award winner David E. Kelly

Acting as writer and executive producer on the series, Kelley will be teaming up with J.J Abrams and his production company Bad Robot. Abrams and Bad Robot‘s Head of Television, Ben Stephenson, will serve alongside Kelly as executive producers. Along with his aforementioned positions, Kelley will also serve as showrunner on the project, bringing a reimagined version of the famed courtroom thriller story. Originally published in 1987, Presumed Innocent tells the story of the murder of Carolyn Polhemus that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime. The book is told through the perspective of Kindle County prosecutor and colleague of the murdered, Rožat “Rusty” Sabich, who is charged with the murder. Sabich fights not only clear his name but also to keep his life and marriage from falling apart. This is the second adaptation of the source material with a feature film being made in 1990 starring Harrison Ford as Rusty.

The project will be produced by Bad Robot Productions and David E. Kelley Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Turow will also serve as an executive producer on the series through Bad Robot along with Abrams and Stephenson. Bad Robot will also be represented by Rachel Rusch Rich as co-executive producers. Matthew Tinker and Dustin Thomason will also executive produce through David E. Kelley Productions. Abrams and Thomason previously worked together on the Hulu series Castle Rock, which saw Thomason as both co-creator and co-showrunner with Abrams as executive producer.

This announcement marks the first series ordered by Apple for Kelley, who is currently working on several projects at the moment including a Netflix adaptation of A Man In Full alongside Regina King and also has The Lincoln Lawyer for the streaming service. Bad Robot is also producing a limited series adaptation of the Stephen King novel, Billy Summers. Abrams is no stranger to working with Apple as an executive producer, having served in the role for the streaming service’s series Little Voice and Lisey’s Story. He is also an executive producer on the HBO series Westworld.