Passing and Preacher actor Ruth Negga is joining Jake Gyllenhaal for Presumed Innocent, an upcoming limited series for Apple TV+. Gyllenhaal is in final negotiations to star in the project from David E. Kelley (The Practice, Big Little Lies) and J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV. Taking inspiration from Scott Turow’s courtroom thriller, Presumed Innocent revolves around a vicious murder that sends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office reeling when one of their representatives becomes a suspect in the crime.
Kelley’s version of the story is not the first time Turow’s tale has worked its way to screens. In 1990, a feature-length version starring Harrison Ford, Raul Julia, and Greta Scacchi hit theaters. The film, directed by Alan J. Pakula, earned $86,303,188 worldwide. Kelley’s version is said to investigate themes of obsession, sex, politics, and the power and limits of love, as the accused fights to keep aspects of their life from falling apart.
According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Negga will play Barbara Sabich, an artist, gallerist, mother, and wife whose life is upended when her husband, Rusty Sabich (Gyllenhaal), is accused of murdering his mistress. Throughout the ordeal, Barbara wrestles with the fallout of her husband’s misdeeds, striving to keep her family close and heal her broken heart.
Kelley, who is an actual attorney, wrote the series. He also serves as an executive producer and showrunner. Additionally, Abrams and Rachel Rusch Rich executive produce for Bad Robot. Matthew Tinker executive produces through David E. Kelley Productions with Gyllenhaal, Dustin Thomason, and Sharr White executive producing. Turow and Miki Johnson co-executive produce. Finally, Anne Sewitsky is directing and executive producing the first two episodes.
Negga stars in 2021’s Passing, from director Rebecca Hall. Written by Hall and based on the novel by Nella Larsen, Passing follows the unexpected reunion of two high school friends whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities. Tessa Thompson and André Holland star alongside Negga in Passing, which is available to stream on Netflix.
Are you intrigued by Kelley’s version of Presumed Innocent? What would you do if you discovered your partner was in a relationship with another person? Love is a battlefield, my friends. Proceed with caution.