Court is now in session.
Nearly three decades after John Grisham’s best-selling legal novel The Rainmaker first graced screens in Frances Ford Coppola’s star-studded 1997 film, John Slattery and Milo Callaghan are breathing new life into the story with their USA Network courtroom drama. And that means taking a whole lot of creative liberties to stretch the story it across the 10-episode first season.
“The departures were pretty significant,” Slattery told E! News in an exclusive joint interview with Callaghan, “and having read the book and seen the movie, you look at the scripts and the source material is only relevant to a certain degree. Then you just shoot scene by scene and hope they stack up to something interesting.”
Those departures went far beyond those like Lana Parilla stepping into the role of the previously male role of “Bruiser” Stone, the legal adversary to Slattery’s Leo Drummond.
In fact, the case that jumpstarts the career of new law grad Rudy Baylor (Callaghan) is transformed from the book’s insurance bad faith suit to a hospital wrongful death—complete with an unnerving, slippery nurse (Dan Fogler) looming in the background.
And then there’s Rudy himself, whose legal course is defined by his quest to live up to the legacy of his late, aspiring lawyer brother John.
“I'm a brother, and if I lost a brother in that way, I think that would really create a chasm in my in my life that you spend the rest of your life trying to stitch up, essentially,” Callaghan explained. “And his brother, we don't know too much about his brother at the beginning, other than he was going to be a lawyer and he was a high achiever.”
Those are big shoes to fill, and for Rudy, balancing his ambition and fierce principles come at a cost, namely the brand-new job at the glossy firm run by Leo Drummond, where his girlfriend Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman) quickly finds herself on the rise.
Ultimately, Callaghan sees Rudy’s crashing and burning right off the bat as a crucial course-correction, sharing, “I really think that when he's fired, good luck or bad luck, who knows, but it puts him on a trajectory which brings him back to himself.”
In fact, it leads to Rudy facing off against Leo—and Sarah—as he attempts to hold the hospital they represent accountable after the death of a patient in its care. With that, the cast spent a lot of time immersing themselves in the “quite rigorous legal academia,” as Callaghan put it.
Crucially, however, viewers don’t need three years of law school to unpack all the rapid-fire legalese—in large part thanks to Slattery’s character.
“Leo's function was also to sort of explain,” the Mad Men alum noted. “Somebody would say something, and I, as Leo, would say, ‘Well, what he actually means is, you know, blah, blah, blah’ to the jury and try to win them over that way. Like he's trying to be highfalutin here, but what he's really saying is to the audience as well.”
Though audiences are just getting introduced to this newest iteration of Rudy Baylor and Leo Drummond, the stars are already raring to go for another courtroom showdown in a possible second season. And for them, it’s an opportunity to explore the Rainmaker world outside the framework of the 1995 novel.
“I would definitely be interested,” Slattery shared, though the Spotlight alum admitted that as for what it would look like, “I don't know what I don't know. That's a common thing where the first season is the book or source material, and then if it were to go further, you'd have to cook up a whole other scenario—which I'm sure they're more than capable of doing.”
After all, Grisham has written more than 50 books—including dozens of best-selling legal thrillers—making for ample material to possibly pull from.
“Get a little Grisham universe going,” Callaghan posited. “I'd be up for that.”
The Rainmaker premieres August 15 on USA Network. For more books set to become movies and shows in the coming months, keep reading…
Hamnet
Based on: Maggie O’Farrell 2020 Novel
Starring: Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Joe Alwyn and Emily Watson.
Premieres: In theaters December 12
Why We’re Excited: A fictional account of the tragic death of William Shakespeare’s 11-year-old son in the mid-16th century, this book flew off shelves with good reason: it’s utterly engrossing. And with an all-star cast being directed by bold name Chloé Zhao—who co-wrote with O’Farrell—this film will be a devastating can’t miss.
The Housemaid
Based On: Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar and Michele Marrone
Premieres: In theaters December 19
Why We’re Excited: The cast alone is enough to have us seated for the adaptation, which follows a maid to a wealthy family with some very sinister secrets bubbling under the surface. But Paul Feig, who is no stranger to a twisty story with A Simple Favor—and its sequel—is at the helm so it’s safe to say we’re in for quite a ride.
His & Hers
Based on: Alice Feeney’s 2020 Novel
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Jon Bernthal, Pablo Schreiber, Crystal Fox, Sunita Mani, and Rebecca Rittenhouse
Premieres: January 8, 2026, on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: A twisty thriller that brings a recluse back to their hometown is always an immediate yes, and in this limited series, it’s Thompson’s Anna whose return following a murder captivates a local detective (new Emmy winner Bernthal) who is also investigating the crime.
People We Meet on Vacation
Based On: Emily Henry's 2021 novel
Starring: Tom Blyth, Emily Bader, Lucian Laviscount, Jameela Jamil, Lukas Gage and Sarah Catherine Hook
Premieres: January 8, 2026, on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: Henry has already taken women’s literature by storm in recent years, so it was only a matter of time before her novels got the big screen treatment. And after major turns in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and My Lady Jane, respectively, Blyth and Bader have proven they may just be the perfect Alex and Poppy.
The Last Thing He Told Me Season 2
Based On: The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave, on sale January 6, 2026
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Angourie Rice, David Morse, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Judy Greer and Rita Wilson.
Premieres: February 20, 2026, on Apple TV
Why We’re Excited: The past always catches up—at least, that’s what Hannah Hall (Garner) and stepdaughter Bailey (Rice) are learning in real-time in season two of the acclaimed Apple series. Five years after the events of The Last Thing He Told Me, the duo have settled into their new normal without Hannah’s husband (and Bailey’s dad) Owen (Coster-Waldau), only for him to resurface right before a shocking family tragedy sets off a string of events that leads the duo in a race for their lives.
Bridgerton Season 4
Based On: Julia Quinn's 2001 Bridgerton novel An Offer From A Gentleman
Starring: Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha, Jonathan Bailey, Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Katie Leung, Michelle Mao and Isabella Wei.
Release Date: Part One: January 29, 2026; Part Two: February, 26, 2026, on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: After three seasons trying to cement a place in his family and discovering himself, fan-favorite Benedict Bridgerton at last finds love in the upcoming installment. And newcomer Ha is joining the Netflix hit’s ever-growing ensemble as his love interest Sophie Baek.
Wuthering Heights
Based on: Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel
Release Date: In theaters February 13, 2026
Starring: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie
Why We’re Excited: Cue the Kate Bush classic, we’re heading back to the moors. Filmmaker Emerald Fennell is reteaming with her Saltburn collaborators—Elordi starred and Robbie produced—for a take on Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff that we’ve surely never seen before.
Reminders of Him
Based On: Hoover’s 2022 novel
Starring: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford, Lainey Wilson and Nicholas Duvernay.
Premieres: In theaters February 13, 2026
Why We’re Excited: After five years, Kenna returns to her hometown looking to reunite with her daughter. Instead, she finds solace in a local bar owner who remains one of the few who is willing to give her another chance. While the next few years see several of the best-selling novelist’s books hitting the screen, she’s a big part of bringing this book to life as she co-wrote the script with Lauren Levine.
Kay Scarpetta
Based On: Patricia Cornwell's mega-popular series of the same name that has 26 books in total
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker and Jake Cannavale
Premieres: March 11, 2026, on Prime Video
Why We're Excited: If it's based on a book and Kidman stars in it, we will binge the s--t out of it. (See: Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and the fact that this is her second appearance on this list.) Add in that the Oscar winners will be playing crime-fighting sisters and it's already become our favorite new show of the year.
Project Hail Mary
Based On: Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller and Milana Vayntrub
Release Date: In theaters March 20, 2026
Why We’re Excited: Sure, Gosling’s been to space as the first man, but his latest mission takes him out of this galaxy as he wakes up from a coma as the sole survivor in an expedition to the Tau Ceti solar system—a cool 12 light-years away from Earth. Things only get worse now that he’s solo and must continue his mission to reverse solar dimming and save humanity from extinction. NBD!
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Based on: Rufi Thorpe’s 2024 novel
Starring: Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman
Premieres: April 15, 2026, on Apple TV
Why we’re Excited: Is it really a limited series if it doesn’t have Kidman popping up in it? Thorpe’s book—following the daughter of a former Hooters waitress and a onetime pro-wrestler who turns to OnlyFans after becoming a single mom at 20—is already excellent on its own. But this casting has certainly placed this eight-episode series at the top of the must-watch list.
Verity
Based on: Hoover's 2021 book
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett
Premieres: In theaters May 15, 2026
Why We're Excited: For starters, we can look no further than Anne, Dakota and Josh. The book—which follows a struggling writer who is asked to complete a best-selling series after the author's mysterious accident—is already a wild, twisty ride. And with this trio at the center, seeing it brought to life on screen is all the more exciting.
Practical Magic 2
Based On: The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Stockard Channing, Dianne Weist, Joey King
Premieres: In theaters September 18, 2026
Why We’re Excited: Another midnight margarita night is finally on the books. Nearly three decades after the original movie, the sequel, based on Hoffman’s 2021 novel, follows Sally (Sandra), Gillian (Nicole), Frances (Stockard) and Jet (Dianne) contend with their family’s curse as it begins to plague the next generations of Owens ladies.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Based On: Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel
Starring: Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jesse Plemons and Ralph Fiennes.
Premieres: In theaters November 20, 2026
Why We’re Excited: On the same day Collins’ latest trip to Panem was announced, Lionsgate confirmed it would be adapting the much-anticipated story following a young Haymitch Abernathy—Peeta and Katniss’ famously haunted mentor in the 74th Hunger Games—during his winning battle in the 50th Games.
The Love Hypothesis
Based On: Ali Hazelwood’s 2021 Novel of the Same
Starring: Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman
Premieres: TBD
Why We’re Excited: The fake dating romance that sent #BookTok into a spiral is heading to the big screen. And the novel that has roots in fanfiction centered on Star Wars characters Rey and Kylo Ren is starring none other than Rey actress Daisy Ridley’s IRL husband Tom—joined by the Riverdale alum. And if that’s not a reason to be excited by what’s to come—or at least curious—we don’t know what is.
The Husbands
Based On: Holly Gramazio’s 2024 novel
Starring: Juno Temple
Premieres: TBD on Apple TV
Why We’re Excited: Prepare to meet more than one hundred husbands. Indeed, the story follows Lauren, who arrives home to be greeted by her husband Michael—only she has never seen him before in her life. A different husband soon takes his place, and she soon learns a seemingly-endless supply of spouses are coming from her attic. As she navigates this complicated romantic journey, key questions emerge, namely, what does she want from life and will she take the reins to get it?
Five-Star Weekend
Based On: Elin Hilderbrand’s 2023 novel
Starring: Jennifer Garner
Premieres: TBD on Peacock
Why We’re Excited: Hilderbrand is the queen of Nantucket beach read. Add in a megastar like Garner and its place in our queue is solidified. The Alias alum stars as Hollis, a food blogger whose life is turned update down by tragedy. As part of her healing journey, she resolves to host a “five-star” weekend with her closest pals—only for it to go awry as the cracks in her friendships deepen and game-changing secrets emerge. Yep, we are firmly seated.
Midnight Sun
Based On: Stephanie Meyer’s 2020 novel
Starring: TBD
Premieres: TBD on Netflix
Why We’re Excited: While fans had to wait more than a decade for Meyer to release the retelling of Twilight from Edward Cullen’s POV, viewers will soon see an animated version of the story coming to their screens. And it’s safe to say catching a glimpse of an animated killer’s sparkly skin will be must-see TV.
Lucky
Based On: Marissa Stapley's 2021 book
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Drew Starkey, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Premieres: TBD on Apple TV
Why We’re Excited: If seeing Anya and Drew leading the cast isn’t enough of a draw—and it should be!—the story itself is pretty thrilling, a young woman returning to the con artist life she was raised in an attempt to secure her future. And with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine producing and a stellar supporting cast, we are already seated.