In what would mark his first major TV role, Jake Gyllenhaal is in negotiations to star in Presumed Innocent, a limited series that he’ll executive produce alongside J.J. Abrams and David E. Kelley for Apple TV+.
Emmy-winning writer Kelley will serve as the showrunner on Presumed Innocent, which is inspired by novelist Scott Turow‘s 1987 courtroom thriller. That book was previously turned into a 1990 movie starring Harrison Ford.
Gyllenhaal will take over the role of Rusty Sabich, a Chicago prosecutor who becomes the chief suspect in the horrific murder of a close colleague when all of the evidence begins to point to him.
Kelley is a former attorney who has reimagined the book and plans to explore sex, politics, obsession, and the power and limits of love with the series, which will follow Rusty as he fights to keep his family and his marriage together. This sounds like a great role for Gyllenhaal, who has been taking some paycheck gigs of late after establishing himself as perhaps the best actor of his generation. I really enjoyed Chris Evans‘ limited series Defending Jacob on Apple TV+, and this feels like it’ll be in a similar vein.
Presumed Innocent hails from Bad Robot Productions and David E. Kelley Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Bad Robot is based. Abrams and Rachel Rusch Rich will executive produce for Bad Robot, while Kelley will executive produce alongside Matthew Tinker. Dustin Thomason, Sharr White, and Gyllenhaal will also serve as executive producers, while Turow and Miki Johnson will serve as co-executive producers.
Gyllenhaal recently starred in Michael Bay‘s Ambulance and voiced the main character in the animated Disney movie Strange World. He next stars in Guy Ritchie‘s movie The Covenant and Doug Liman‘s remake of Road House. Gyllenhaal is represented by WME.
