Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal is set for his first major TV role in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent, which comes from David E. Kelley (Big Sky) and J.J. Abrams (Fringe).
According to Deadline, Gyllenhaal is in negotiations to star in and executive produce the series, which is based on the 1987 courtroom thriller novel of the same name by Scott Turow. The story, which is about a prosecutor charged with the murder of his colleague, was previously adapted into a 1990 feature film starring Harrison Ford.
Gyllenhaal would portray the role Ford played in the movie, Rusty Sabich, the intense prosecutor suspected of killing a close co-worker when the evidence begins to point to him. The series follows Rusty as he fights to hold onto his family and marriage and is said to explore themes of obsession, sex, politics, and the power and limits of love.
David E. Kelley Productions and Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions are behind the series, in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams and Kelley serve as executive producers alongside Rachel Rusch Rich, Matthew Tinker, Dustin Thomason, Sharr White, and Gyllenhaal. Turow and Miki Johnson are on board as co-executive producers.
The series marks the first major television series for Gyllenhaal, who is best known for his film work, including Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain, Prisoners, Nightcrawler, and The Guilty. His previous TV appearances include a guest spot on a 2020 episode of Saturday Night Live and the role of Mr. Music in the Netflix comedy-music special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch.
Most recently, Gyllenhaal starred in the Michael Bay action thriller Ambulance and led the voice cast of Disney’s animated feature Strange World. He will next be seen in Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant and Doug Liman’s Road House.
Presumed Innocent, TBA, Apple TV+