EXCLUSIVE: Netflix placed a serial order for The Lincoln Lawyer, a drama based on the series of best-selling novels by Michael Connelly, The practice and Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley and A + E Studios.
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This is a new incarnation of the project, which was originally created at CBS with a series production commitment last season. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven) was chosen to play the main character of the Netflix series, as it pays homage to the Latinx origins of the story.
“I am pleased to announce that, after a short journey, Mickey Haller will come to life on the screen – this time in the adaptation for the TV series of The Lincoln Lawyer coming to Netflix and starring the wonderful and talented Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, ”said Connelly in a blog post related to the truck.
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With the cast of Mexican Garcia-Rulfo, Mickey Haller will remain faithful to the character portrayed in Connelly’s books. (In the CBS version, the role would be played by Logan Marshall-Green; in the 2011 film, the character was played by Matthew McConaughey.)
2020-21 Netflix Pilots & Series Orders
“Manuel is the ideal Mickey Haller, who is following in the footsteps of his father, a lawyer, with the performance of his Mexican movie star mother,” wrote Connelly. “It brings a dynamic and powerful dimension to the role – one that aligns with the books and brings authenticity to the Latinx heritage and roots of this Los Angeles-based story.”
The first season of 10 episodes is based on the second book of The Lincoln Lawyer Series, The Brass Veredict.
Written and executive produced by Kelley and showrunner Ted Humphrey (The good wife), The Lincoln Lawyer it revolves around Mickey Haller (Garcia-Rulfo), an iconoclastic idealist, who runs his law firm from the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, while handling large and small cases across the expansive city of Los Angeles.
“The Lincoln Lawyer the series will be adapted to serve the complex and mysterious arches that fans know and love with a mix of cheerful humor and a dose of family dynamics, ”said Connelly.
The project’s creative team remains the same as it was for the CBS version, with Kelley and Humphrey being executive producers alongside Connelly and Ross Fineman (Goliath, Big Sky)
On the screen, two roles are being reworked: Mickey and Lorna, his second ex-wife and constant confidant, who would be played by Kiele Sanchez on CBS. The search for a director is underway.
At CBS, The Lincoln Lawyer he was chosen as a pilot, who was just days away from production when the coronavirus pandemic stopped all filming in March. After the surprise of CBS in May, the decision not to proceed with the high profile project, A + E Studios immediately took him to the streamers. (The serialized narrative of the program was considered more suitable for a digital platform than for a traditional network.)
While different suitors were rumors, including Prime Video, which has the long-running series Bosch, centered on Mickey’s stepbrother, a serious conversation with Netflix began in the summer.
This marks the second series on Netflix for A + E Studios, joining limited animation series from World War II The liberator, which debuted on Veterans Day. The studio, whose list is overseen by A + E chief Barry Jossen and EVP scripted programming Tana Jamieson, is also behind the new ABC drama series Sky, also from Kelley.
On Netflix, Kelley also has the next anthology Anatomy of a Scandal, based on the novel by Sarah Vaughan, starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend. Big Little Lies creator Kelley is launching another limited hit series for HBO, The Undo.
The Lincoln Lawyer reunites Garcia-Rulfo with Kelley and Fineman after he had an important recurring role in the Prime Video film Goliath, co-created / executive produced by Kelley and executive produced by Fineman. The Lincoln Lawyer and Goliath are two of the many legal series that Kelley, a lawyer by profession, created / co-created. The list also includes the Emmy winner The practice and Ally McBeal.
Garcia-Rulfo is best known for his role as Vasquez in The Magnificent Seven remake and Gallo in Sicario: Day of the Soldier. He was recently seen in resources Greyhound and 6 underground, and your TV credits also include From dusk to dawn: the series.
The Lincoln Lawyer series of books launched in 2009. The last, sixth installment, The Law of Innocence, was published in November, seven years after the fifth novel.
“I’m very happy to call Netflix our home,” said Connelly. “And I’m excited to bring this rich and multifaceted story, full of intriguing characters and mysteries, to solve for millions of viewers – fans old and new – around the world.”