Matthew McConaughey to Reprise ‘A Time to Kill’ Role in John Grisham Series in the Works at HBO

Matthew McConaughey is attached to star in a series adaptation of the John Grisham novel “A Time for Mercy,” which is currently in development at HBO, Variety has learned from sources.

The book, published in 2020, is a followup to Grisham’s books “A Time to Kill” and “Sycamore Row,” all of which center on the character of attorney Jake Brigance. McConaughey previously starred as Brigance in the film adaptation of “A Time to Kill” in 1996. The role was an early breakout for McConaughey, starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock.

In “A Time to Kill,” Brigance defends a Black man (Jackson) who killed the two white men who savagely raped his daughter. In “A Time for Mercy,” Brigance must defend a young man who killed his mother’s boyfriend, a deputy sheriff, with the boy claiming the man was abusive towards his mother, himself, and his little sister.

According to sources, no writer is currently attached to adapt the book, but Lorenzo Di Bonaventura is onboard as an executive producer. Warner Bros. Television would produce.

HBO and WBTV declined to comment.

McConaughey is no stranger to HBO audiences, having received an Emmy nomimation for his time on the hit first season of the premium cabler’s police drama “True Detective.” He won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in the film “Dallas Buyers Club” in 2013. He is also known for his roles in films like “Dazed and Confused,” “Magic Mike,” “Interstellar,” and “Amistad.” He was previously set to re-team with “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto for a series at FX, but that project is no longer moving forward.

McConaughey is repped by WME and Morris Yorn.

“A Time to Kill” was Grisham’s first novel but not the first to be adapted for the screen, with that being “The Firm” starring Tom Cruise. Since then, nearly a dozen of his books have been adapted as films, including “The Pelican Brief,” “Runaway Jury,” and “The Chamber.”

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