Emmy winner Jason Bateman is officially stepping back into the director’s chair, this time tackling the world of John Grisham. Bateman will direct The Partner for Universal, with Tom Holland producing the adaptation — and all signs point to Holland also taking the lead role. Deadline were the first to report the news this afternoon.
Bateman will also executive produce under his Aggregate Films banner, alongside his producing partner Michael Costigan. On the other side, Rideback — the company behind The LEGO Movie and Aladdin — secured the rights to Grisham’s 1997 bestseller, with Oscar winner Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) adapting the script. Rideback’s Jonathan Eirich will produce, while Nick Reynolds joins as executive producer.
Bateman is no stranger to directing acclaim. He previously earned a DGA nomination and won an Emmy for his work on Netflix’s Ozark, and has helmed films like Bad Words and The Family Fang. He’s currently starring in and directing Netflix’s Black Rabbit and recently co-starred in HBO’s DTF St. Louis. Taking on The Partner marks his third feature film as director, but it could prove to be his most high-profile yet given the built-in audience for Grisham’s courtroom thrillers.
What’s ‘The Partner’ About?
Pending final deal, Holland is expected to star as Patrick Lanigan, a young hotshot lawyer at a prestigious Biloxi firm who fakes his own death in a car fire. As one is prone to do. Leaving behind his wife and newborn daughter in a seemingly tragic end, Patrick has in fact stolen $90 million from a client of his crooked law firm. His plan leads him to a new life in South America, where he finds love and happiness — until the client realizes the money is gone and sets off on a relentless hunt. Patrick must then face not only his past crimes, but also the family he abandoned. He sounds a bit of a tool, to be honest.
Grisham has long been a go-to for Hollywood. His novels The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Client, and Runaway Jury were all adapted into successful films in the ’90s and early 2000s. The Partner, while long in development — once residing at New Regency — is now finally gaining traction.
via Collider