Apple has enjoyed plenty of success with its recent novel adaptations, whether they be made for streaming like The Big Door Prize or filmed for the big screen like Killers of the Flower Moon. The company’s new eight-part limited series, Presumed Innocent, will try to continue the trend with Jake Gyllenhaal executive producing and taking the lead as a prosecutor at the center of a murder investigation. During Apple TV+‘s Television Critic’s Association showcase, the first images from the tense legal drama were shared along with a release date that will land the series at the forefront of the summer — June 14.
Based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name by Scott Turow, Presumed Innocent follows Chief Deputy Prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Gyllenhaal) on a twisted journey through his colleague Carol Polhemus’s (Renate Reinsve) murder case. The Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office is soon thrown into disarray when it becomes clear that one of their own committed the crime and Rusty, having previously had an affair with Polhemus, is the prime suspect. He’s forced to scramble to prove his innocence and hold his crumbling family and marriage together as he faces the fallout of his actions. The adaptation is billed as an exploration of obsession, sex, and politics, as well as the limits of love when trust is so brazenly violated.
The duality of Gyllenhaal‘s story and character is fully displayed in the two images. One shot sees him in his suit and tie with a coffee and paperwork by his side as he tirelessly works to crack the fateful murder case. That image of a professional burning the midnight oil for his job is upended in the second still, showing him flanked by an officer and a lawyer as he goes from prosecutor to prosecuted. If the novel is any indication, the thriller limited series will put Rusty through the wringer as he’s forced to relitigate all the relationships throughout his life that led to this moment and the grave mistake that jeopardized everything.
Who Joins Gyllenhaal in ‘Presumed Innocent’?
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Presumed Innocent — an eight-hour thriller that will keep you guessing.
Debuts on June 14. pic.twitter.com/n1l9M7Wc3q— Apple TV (@AppleTV) February 5, 2024
At the head of Presumed Innocent is a pair of multi-time Emmy winners in David E. Kelley and executive producer J.J. Abrams, who will bring the series to life through their respective David E. Kelley Productions and Bad Robot Productions banners. Kelley will also serve as showrunner. Behind the camera for the series are Anne Sewitsky (Episodes 1, 2, and 8) and Emmy-winning House and House of the Dragon director Greg Yaitanes (Episodes 3 through 7).
This will be the second adaptation of Turow‘s acclaimed novel, following the 1990 version starring Harrison Ford and the late great Raul Julia. Apple TV+‘s take has plenty of talent to its name as well, starting with Gyllenhaal who boasts an Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain as well as turns in Nightcrawler, Donnie Darko, Okja, and Spider-Man: Far From Home, among other titles. He’s next set for Prime Video‘s Road House remake in March alongside UFC star Conor McGregor. Joining him and the aforementioned Reinsve in Presumed Innocent are Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Peter Sarsgaard, and O-T Fagbenle.
Presumed Innocent streams its first two episodes on Apple TV+ on June 14. New episodes will arrive every Friday through July 26. Check out the first images in the gallery above.
via Collider