A new take on The Lincoln Lawyer – yes, that 2011 legal film starring Matthew McConaugheyand based on Michael Connelly's books – has had a tortured time heading to the small screen. And while the latest take stalled at US network CBS, it appears that Amazon is now among those in talks to snap it up.
Michael "Mickey" Haller conducts his criminal defence business from the back of his chauffeured Lincoln town car. A charming type, he’s known to bend the rules for his clients when necessary and usually finds a way to win the case.
Connelly tells an episode of the newly launched Bestsellers podcast (as covered by The Hollywood Reporter) that CBS had been busy setting up a show based on the character run by David E. Kelley, with sets being built and key cast and crew hired, but that the Coronavirus pandemic got in the way. "And then, a month later, CBS decided not to go forward with it," the author says.
The main sticking point? The fact that Connelly, Kelley and co. intended the show to be serialised, which didn't exactly fit with CBS' standard procedural, episodic format. "So it was a bit risky for them and they decided, in this environment, to not do any risky programming, and so they killed it basically," he adds. "It was a shock. I mean, we had actors set, we had directors set, we had sets being built. It was right on the precipice of becoming a reality when this happened. So it's very disappointing."
Amazon would seem to be a natural home for the show, especially since it already has Bosch, based on another Connelly book series, up and running (with the final season planned for next year). And when you consider that Harry Bosch is Mickey's half-brother, you can see the wheels spinning about a potential crossover to boost the Lincoln launch. No deal has been struck yet, but given Amazon's recent spending spree on TV shows based on books, such as Lord Of The Rings and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the company will no doubt be pushing hard to lock down the lawyer.