After ten feature-length adaptations of his books, an eleventh adaptation is gathering steam. John Grisham's 1997 novel The Partner, which has been in development hell for a long time, has finally landed a director.
Actor Jason Bateman, known for his acclaimed directing work on the Netflix series Ozark, has been confirmed to helm.
Spider-Man star Tom Holland is attached to play the protagonist, a junior attorney at a law firm who goes into hiding after pulling off a vengeful scam and soon finds his past catching up to him.
Bateman is the right fit for this material, since Ozark also delved into shady characters, money laundering, and other forms of unscrupulous behaviour.
Previous notable John Grisham adaptations include The Pelican Brief, The Firm, The Client, and A Time to Kill.
Meanwhile, Tom Holland is currently filming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth entry in the MCU web-slinger series. He also wrapped up filming on Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated fantasy epic The Odyssey.
The Partner is jointly produced by Holland with Michael Costigan, Jonathan Eirich, Harry Holland, and Will South.
Bateman will also serve as executive producer on The Partner with Grisham, Nick Reynolds, and David Gernert.
Bateman is currently starring in the Netflix drama series Black Rabbit, co-starring Jude Law. Bateman has directed a couple of episodes along with his Ozark co-star Laura Linney.
Bateman’s prior directorial duties include the supernatural thriller series The Outsider. He also worked on the sitcoms Do Not Disturb and Arrested Development, albeit a few episodes.
