The Rainmaker: John Slattery Joins USA Network’s John Grisham Adaptation in Jon Voight’s Movie Role

USA Network has announced the first casting for its upcoming TV adaptation of The Rainmaker : John Slattery ( Mad Men ) has been tapped as a series regular in the drama based on the bestselling John Grisham novel, TVLine has learned.

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The actor will play one of Grisham’s most iconic characters, Leo F. Drummond, “a legendary lion of the courtroom and senior partner at Tinley Britt, the powerful firm that Rudy Baylor is up against,” according to the character’s official description.

In The Rainmaker , Rudy Baylor, fresh out of law school, “goes head-to-head with courtroom lion Leo Drummond,” as well as his law school girlfriend. Along the way, Rudy, his boss and a disheveled paralegal uncover two connected conspiracies surrounding the mysterious death of their client’s son.

The Rainmaker was previously adapted as a film in 1997, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt Damon (as Rudy) and Danny DeVito (as paralegal Deck). Mickey Rourke played Rudy’s boss, J. Lyman “Bruiser” Stone, and Jon Voight played Leo. Mary Kay Place played Rudy’s client, Margarine “Dot” Black. The movie also co-starred Claire Danes, Virginia Madsen and Danny Glover.

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Michael Seitzman ( Code Black ) and Jason Richman ( Stumptown ) co-wrote the series’ pilot (the project received a series order in June ) and will serve as executive producers alongside Grisham, David Gernert and Jason Blum.

Thoughts on Slattery’s casting? Let us know in the comments below.

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