A Time For Mercy: Matthew McConaughey reprising role for HBO series

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Alright, alright, alright! Decades after his breakout role in Joel Schumacher's A Time to Kill, Matthew McConaughey is returning to the courtroom for the sequel series A Time For Mercy. McConaughey, who received critical acclaim for his turn in HBO's True Detective, is in final negotiations to reprise the role of defense attorney, Jake Brigance. Sources indicate the series is expected to run for 8-10 episodes with Lorenzo di Bonaventura on board to produce.

Per Goodreads, here's a synopsis for John Grisham's A Time For Mercy:

Jake Brigance, the protagonist of A Time to Kill, John Grisham’s classic legal thriller is back. This time he's at the epicenter of a sensational murder trial that bitterly divides the citizens of Clanton, Mississippi. A Time to Kill is one of the most popular novels of our time. It established Jake as a classic American hero—a lawyer who seeks truth and justice at all costs, even when his life and reputation are on the line. Brigance returned in 2013’s Sycamore Row, in which he once again found himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial. Now, in A Time for Mercy, Jake is the court-appointed lawyer for Drew Gamble, a young man accused of murdering a local deputy. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance sees it another way. Once he learns the details of the case, he realizes he has to do everything he can to save Drew—who is sixteen. Jake’s commitment to the truth puts his career and the safety of his family at risk. Filled with all the courtroom machinations, small-town intrigues, and plot twists that have become the hallmarks of the master of the legal thriller, A Time for Mercy emphatically confirms John Grisham's reputation as America's favorite storyteller. There is a time to kill, a time for justice, and A TIME FOR MERCY.

A Time for Mercy is the third book of Grishams to revolve around his iconic Brigance character with the second being titled Sycamore Row, released in 2013. Last year McConaughey took time away from promoting Covid safety to hype A Time For Mercy on his official Instagram account. At the time of his posting about the book, fans suspected that McConaughey may return to playing the character. As it turns out, he was already in talks to reprise the role at that time, and now that deal is nearly signed, sealed, and delivered.

Early in the project's development, the decision was made to adapt the book as a limited series as opposed to a feature film. For obvious reasons, the limited series format will allow more time for the story to unfold and investigate key characters without the restraint of a two-hour runtime. No director has been attached to the project at this time and HBO is in the midst of meeting with writers to help script the series. Production is still a way out, but we'll be sure to let you know when cameras start rolling.