Netflix Orders ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Drama Sequence From David E. Kelley; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo To Star – .

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has commissioned The Lincoln Lawyer, a drama based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling novel series by David E. Kelley, creator of The Practice and Big Little Lies, and A + E Studios.

David E. Kelley
AP images

This is a new incarnation of the project originally set up at CBS with a serial production engagement last season. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven) was chosen to play the title character on the Netflix series as he pays tribute to the Latinx origins of the story.

“I’m excited to announce that Mickey Haller is coming back to life after a brief trip to the screen – this time in the TV series adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer coming to Netflix and the wonderful and talented Manuel Garcia – Starring Rulfo, “Connelly said in a blog post that was tied to the pickup.

Related story

‘The Umbrella Academy’ Season 3 Reveals Cast For Sparrow Academy That Contains … A Telekinesis Cube?

With the cast of Mexico-born Garcia-Rulfo, Mickey Haller remains true to the character depicted in Connelly’s books. (The CBS version was supposed to play Logan Marshall-Green; in the 2011 film, the character was portrayed by Matthew McConaughey.)

“Manuel is the ideal Mickey Haller, who follows in the footsteps of his lawyer father with the show style of his Mexican movie star mother,” wrote Connelly. “He gives the role a strong dynamic and dimension – one that is consistent with the books and gives authenticity to the Latinx legacy and roots of this Los Angeles-based story.”

The first season of 10 episodes is based on the second book in The Lincoln Lawyer, The Brass Verdict.

Written and executive by Kelley and showrunner Ted Humphrey (The Good Woman), The Lincoln Lawyer revolves around Mickey Haller (Garcia-Rulfo), an iconoclastic idealist who runs his law firm from the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car and handles cases large and small in the sprawling city of Los Angeles.

“The Lincoln Lawyer series is being adapted to serve the complex and mysterious arcs fans know and love, with a mix of light-hearted humor and a dose of family dynamism,” said Connelly.

The project’s creative team remains the same as for the CBS version, with Kelley and Humphrey producing alongside Connelly and Ross Fineman (Goliath, Big Sky).

Two roles are newly cast on the screen, Mickey and his second ex-wife Lorna and permanent confidante who was to be played by Kiele Sanchez on CBS. A search for a director is ongoing.

At CBS, The Lincoln Lawyer was picked up as a pilot, days before production began when the coronavirus pandemic halted all filming in March. After the surprising decision by CBS in May not to continue the high-profile project, A + E Studios immediately passed it on to the streamers. (The show’s serialized storytelling was seen as better suited to a digital platform than a traditional network.)

While various applicants were rumored, including Prime Video with the long-running Bosch series, which revolves around Mickey’s half-brother, serious conversations with Netflix began that summer.

This is the second series on Netflix for A + E Studios, part of the WWII animated limited series The Liberator, which premiered on Veterans Day. The studio, whose plan is overseen by A + E boss Barry Jossen and EVP script program Tana Jamieson, is also behind the new ABC drama series Big Sky, also by Kelley.

At Netflix, Kelley also has the upcoming anthology Anatomy of a Scandal based on Sarah Vaughan’s novel starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend. Big Little Lies creator Kelley is bringing out another successful limited series for HBO, The Undoing.

The Lincoln attorney is reuniting Garcia-Rulfo with Kelley and Fineman after playing a major recurring role in Goliath from Prime Video, co-created / executed by Kelley and executed by Fineman. The Lincoln Lawyer and Goliath are two of the many legal series that Kelley, a lawyer by profession, created / helped create. The list also includes Emmy winners The Practice and Ally McBeal.

Garcia-Rulfo is best known for his roles as Vasquez in The Magnificent Seven Remake and Gallo in Sicario: Soldier’s Day. He was recently seen in Features Greyhound and 6 Underground; His TV credits also include From Dusk to Dawn: The Series.

The Lincoln Lawyer book series was published in 2009. The final sixth part, The Law of Innocence, was published in November, seven years after the fifth novel.

“I’m thrilled to call Netflix our home,” said Connelly. “And I look forward to bringing this rich, multi-layered story, full of fascinating characters and secrets, to millions of viewers – fans both old and new – around the world.”