Apple TV+ is so thrilled with the performance of its new legal drama Presumed Innocent that it is renewing the Jake Gyllenhaal-led thriller for another season. Some creative forces behind the first season, David E. Kelly, J.J. Abrams, and Gyllenhaal, return as executive producers for Presumed Innocent Season 2, with author Scott Turow co-executive producing. Wait. Isn’t Presumed Innocent a one-and-done story? Not when money is waiting in the wings, my friends!
Presumed Innocent debuted on Apple TV+ one month ago and has been tearing up the charts since then. It’s the most-viewed drama ever on Apple TV+, with the final two episodes arriving on July 17 and July 24. While the story of Gyllenhaal’s Rusty Sabich and Ruth Negga’s Barbara Sabitch is concluded, Presumed Innocent Season 2 will revolve “around a suspenseful, brand new case.” Apple won’t reveal casting for some time, though it’s possible characters from the first season will appear in the sequel season.
Presumed Innocent fans likely know of Turow’s follow-up novel, The Burdon of Proof, set in the same Illinois locale and focusing on Sandy Stern, a character introduced in Presumed Innocent and played by Raul Julia in the original film. It’s unlikely that Season 2 of the show will follow Stern’s lead, considering that he’s not part of Apple’s hit series. Gabby Bean’s Mya fills the role of the defense attorney, so make of that what you will.
It’s worth noting that Gyllenhaal’s Rusty Sabitch is not a recurring character in Turow’s books, so it’s unlikely he’ll return. However, Presumed Innocent does have a direct sequel in 2011’s Innocent, pairing Rusty and Tommy Molto (played by Peter Sarsgaard in Apple’s series), 20 years after the death of Rusty’s wife. There’s also a chance Kelley will hit audiences with a shocking twist during the Presumed Innocent finale, leaving elements of the story open for Season 2.
Here’s the official synopsis for Presumed Innocent:
“Gyllenhaal is set to star as Rusty Sabich, a prosecutor whose world is upended when a close colleague is murdered — and the evidence begins to point to Rusty himself. The role would be his first ongoing part in a TV series. Presumed Innocent was previously adapted for a 1990 feature film that starred Harrison Ford as Sabich, along with Bonnie Bedelia and Raul Julia. Kelley’s version will be a reimagining of Turow’s novel that will explore, per the show’s logline, ‘obsession, sex, politics, and the power and limits of love, as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”
Inspired by the Alan J. Pakula-directed thriller of the same name, the original film starred Harrison Ford, Raul Julia, and Greta Scacchi. The newest version of Presumed Innocent comes from primetime TV veterans David E. Kelley (The Lincoln Lawyer, Big Shot, Goliath) and J.J. Abrams (Lost, Super 8, Star Trek). 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 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.
Are you excited to hear that Presumed Innocent Season 2 is happening? Let us know in the comments section below.