John Grisham’s novel ‘The Rainmaker’ is coming to TV

Since 2021, the USA Community had stacked its lineup with actuality reveals and sports activities, fully forgoing unique, scripted programming. Followers of “Fits”, “White Collar” and “Monk” had been left with solely recollections of these reveals’ case-of-the-week storytelling. However on Friday, the community returns to scripted TV with the authorized thriller “The Rainmaker.”

If the title sounds acquainted, it’s as a result of it’s primarily based on the 1995 novel by John Grisham, which was first tailored into the 1997 Matt Damon-starring movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. On this “Rainmaker,” British actor Milo Callaghan performs Rudy Baylor. It’s the primary main function for Callaghan, who had beforehand performed recurring characters in reveals like HBO’s “Dune: Prophecy” and Starz’s “The Spanish Princess.”

Baylor is contemporary out of regulation college and about to begin working on the largest regulation agency within the state, run by Leo F. Drummond (John Slattery). On his first day, Baylor will get fired after difficult Drummond in a gathering. Determined for work, he takes a job at a small ambulance-chasing agency that works out of a former taco joint. His boss is Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone (Lana Parrilla, in a gender swap from the movie the place Mickey Rourke had the function). She’s good, assured and never afraid to make use of her intercourse enchantment to get what she needs. Rudy’s first massive case pits him towards the large, fancy regulation agency that allow him go — and his girlfriend who nonetheless works there.

Callaghan informed The Related Press about studying legalese whereas doing a Memphis accent and familiarizing himself with the supply materials. Solutions are edited for readability and brevity.

AP: Did you watch “The Rainmaker” movie?

CALLAGHAN: I watched it after I obtained solid. Matt Damon is anyone that each younger actor would look as much as. I wished to pay attention to the work that he did. I imply, it was a Coppola film as properly, so I used to be excited to see it. After which I gave it perhaps like 20 minutes’ thought and targeted on the script as a result of it’s totally different and I feel we’ve 10 hours of tv to discover this character. We go on a windier street than the film.

AP: Did you learn the novel as properly and did that assist to search out your model of Rudy?

CALLAGHAN: Sure. It’s a slow-paced thriller, actually, however unbelievable. And there’s this chunk, it have to be about 100 pages, of him simply making ready for this case for months and months and months. So I by no means wished it to really feel prefer it was off-the-hand genius. It felt like it is a scenario that needs to be honored to a sure extent. Like, you could be a unbelievable lawyer, however you don’t get there with out grinding and grafting. We had nice scenes the place we had been working late into the evening.

AP: Did studying your strains to play a lawyer additionally have you ever working late?

CALLAGHAN: You prep a court docket scene, and it’s eight pages, and it’s a deposition. And you already know it and also you’ve labored on it and also you’re prepared to fall asleep, and it’s quarter to midnight, and you’ve got an e mail saying, “We’ve rewritten this scene and we’re taking pictures it at 8 a.m.” And also you’re like, “Not solely am I relearning all this, however I’ve to return by the dialect to guarantee that that is hermetic.” It was undoubtedly an additional part that I in all probability misplaced a little bit of sleep over.

AP: You’re additionally British and Rudy Baylor is from Tennessee. How did you lose your accent and grasp a Southern one?

CALLAGHAN: Constant work with an incredible dialogue coach. I keep in mind I obtained there on my first day and I used to be working strains with P.J. Byrne, who performs Deck, and he’s form of me humorous. He’s like, “Why are you speaking like that?” I used to be like, “What do you imply? As a result of we begin filming in three days.” I used to be announcing every little thing phonetically as a result of that was the way in which I realized. I needed to actually work on paring it again into a spot that felt so pure. For a film, you would possibly get away with it, however for 10 hours of tv, it simply needs to be gentle, it needs to be fast, it needs to be at your fingertips.

AP: Was there a phrase that gave you hassle?

CALLAGHAN: “North Metropolis Hospital.” It was the toughest factor. I used to be like, ‘Why did you name it this?” I obtained all this legalese down after which “North Metropolis Hospital” would shoot me within the foot each time.

AP: There are additionally variations between U.Ok. and American regulation. Did you examine U.S. regulation?

CALLAGHAN: I went by main trials, like the entire O.J. Simpson homicide trial and the Gwyneth Paltrow trial. And in addition obscure trials. I studied attorneys and their patterns of speech and the way in which they handle the court docket. We don’t actually have the identical form of pop star aspect to the authorized system of like, “That’s the man who represented this individual and that individual.” Finding out that’s fascinating.