Hulu is Building a John Grisham Series Universe Starting THE RAINMAKER and ROGUE LAWYER
Hulu is teaming up with author John Grisham to launch a new TV series universe called The Grisham Universe and they will start with adaptations of The Rainmaker and Rogue Lawyer.
According to THR, the shows “will share one storyline with the potential to grow the franchise with other shows.” Here are the details that have been shared:
The Grisham Universe begins with The Rainmaker and Rogue Lawyer and combines them to create what ABC Signature is calling "wholly original": two books, two shows, one shared storyline. The two shows are independent of one another that still feature intersecting storylines that create a new template uniquely designed for Hulu's platform. The stories of each show are told in a way that a viewer can watch vertically, viewing all of one without the other and be told a story. But they're also told so that a viewer can watch horizontally, navigating from episode 101 of The Rainmaker to episode 101 of Rogue Lawyer, then episode 102 of Rainmaker to 102 of Rogue Lawyer, and so on. While some characters will live in just one show, many characters from each show will cross into and become integral to the other.
They’ve hired Code Black's Michael Seitzman and Detroit 187's Jason Richman to write and executive produce both of the shows, with Grisham also on board as an executive producer.
If these shows end up doing well, you can bet that we are going to see more John Grisham shows added to the connected universe that they are building.
For those of you not familiar with these two projects I’ve included descriptions of the books that they are based on.
The Rainmaker:
It’s summer in Memphis. The sweat is sticking to Rudy Baylor’s shirt and creditors are nipping at his heels. Once he had aspirations of breezing through law school and punching his ticket to the good life. Now he doesn’t have a job or a prayer—except for one: an insurance dispute that leaves a family devastated and opens the door for a lawsuit, if Rudy can find a way to file it.
By the time Rudy gets to court, a heavyweight corporate defense team is there to meet him. And suddenly he’s in over his head, plunged into a nightmare of lies and legal maneuverings. A case that started small is exploding into a thunderous million-dollar war of nerves, skill, and outright violence—a fight that could cost one young lawyer his life, or turn him into the biggest rainmaker in the land.
Rogue Lawyer:
On the right side of the law—sort of—Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. His office is a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, and fine leather chairs. He has no firm, no partners, and only one employee: his heavily armed driver, who also so happens to be his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddie. Sebastian drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun. He defends people other lawyers won’t go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. Why these clients? Because Sebastian believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial—even if he has to bend the law to secure one.
What do you all think about Hulu developing a John Grisham Universe?