How USA Network’s “The Rainmaker” Series Reinvents Grisham’s Classic Novel for Modern TV

Adapting a successful legal novel and an iconic film into a new television series is never a simple task—especially when the source is as beloved and enduring as John Grisham’s book The Rainmaker (1995). With USA Network’s launch of its 10-episode serialized adaptation, showrunner Michael Seitzman and his writing team have faced the delicate balance of loyalty to the source material, contemporary updates, and creative reinvention.

In 2018, Michael Seitzman and Jason Richman pitched The Rainmaker as part of a shared TV universe alongside Rogue Lawyer for Hulu. That didn’t move forward.

In 2021, Seitzman revisited the project with Blumhouse Television under a first-look deal. By mid-2024, USA Network officially ordered the standalone series, marking the network’s return to scripted, character-driven drama.

Why Adapt The Rainmaker for TV?

The original Rainmaker novel features Rudy Baylor, a novice attorney doggedly fighting corrupt insurance companies in Memphis. The acclaimed Frances Ford Coppola 1997 film streamlined the plot but retained the gritty, David-and-Goliath legal struggle. This thematic spine has remained intact throughout the television series.

The original 1995 novel is lauded for its thrilling David-and-Goliath courtroom drama, high human stakes, and vivid characters—a formula that had already translated into Francis Ford Coppola’s strong 1997 film.

MIchael Seitzman

Seitzman notes, “What is it about this story that keeps drawing people in? Maybe it’s the legal thriller, the dangerous romance or the coming-of-age story. For me, above all, it’s the characters. They jumped off the page in John’s book and were a joy to expand upon in our show.”

Updating Setting, Tone, and Structure

The Rainmaker’s most notable update is geographical and cultural: the novel and film were set in 1990s Memphis, Tennessee but the USA Network series moves the action to present-day Charleston, South Carolina. This fresh regional lens offers a new aesthetic, social and cultutal subtext, and opportunities to tap into contemporary legal, social, and racial issues.

This shift was considered. For showdowns between old-money law powerhouses and scrappy upstarts, Charleston’s legal landscape and distinctive Southern flavor enable compelling storytelling choices that keep things both familiar and fresh for audiences.

Expanding the Canvas: TV Series Structure vs. Film

The original film ran just over two hours, while USA Network’s serialized version unfolds over 10 one-hour episodes. This extra time allows writers, not only to cover the legal case more thoroughly, but also to expand on characters backstories, secondary character arcs, and visit richer, more complex, antagonists.

Showrunner Michael Seitzman and the writers were able to “include the intricacies of the cases, further develop the domestic abuse storyline, and modernize the themes,” expanding the emotional stakes of the show beyond what the film could achieve.

Staying Loyal—But Not Too Loyal—to Grisham

While the spirit of Grisham’s “David-and-Goliath” tale remains intact, the show is not a scene-for-scene translation. “The book… is quite episodic in nature. It lends itself well to ten episodes. Michael Seitzman, the showrunner and writer of the show, made some changes—there are characters who are not prominent in the book who are in the show, and it’s tailored to leave you with a little cliffhanger after each episode,” says star John Slattery, who plays Leo Drummond, a managing partner at Tinley Britt law.

Key changes include:

• Creating new or expanded characters for modern resonance. For instance, the once-male “Bruiser Stone” is now Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone (Lana Parrilla), inserting new character and gender dynamics.
• Digging deeper into the home lives and motivations of characters, especially Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan), whose personal relationships receive a lot more attention than in the book or film.
• Tailoring the legal case to reflect modern-day healthcare issues and insurance fraud.
• Stronger interpersonal dynamics: romantic tension with Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman), more layered female roles, and additional conspiracy threads amplify stakes and emotional impact.
• Subplots and serialized arcs allow the writers to explore character backstory, law firm politics, and ethical dilemmas over an extended amount of time.

Despite major updates, the series retains fidelity to Grisham’s original vision:

• Rudy’s coming-of-age journey is still central, highlighting ethical dilemmas, uncertainties, and moral victories within a flawed legal system.
• The wrongful death case, systemic legal injustice, and Baylor’s ethical awakening are essentially unchanged.
• The legal underdog story remains the engine of suspense and identification, with Rudy taking on a seemingly unwinnable case against entrenched institutions.
• The adaptation preserves signature Grisham themes: cynicism toward institutional power, the value of individual agency, and sharp critique of legal and insurance systems.

Locelyn Bruiser Stone (Lana Parilla) Photo courtesy of USA Networks

The Development Process

Development began with Seitzman and the creative team identifying core story elements suitable for serialization. John Grisham’s involvement ensured that creative liberties did not excessively deviate from the novel’s initial spirit. Professional legal consultants, Southern cultural experts, and writers skilled in serialized drama were hired the writers’ room.

As the writers plotted ten episodes, they encountered questions unique to TV: How do you maintain tension in a lengthy legal case? How do you allocate episodic arcs to supporting characters? How much of the original dialogue and structure do you retain, and when do you modernize?

Seitzman notes: “There are characters who are not prominent in the book who are in the show, and it’s tailored to leave you with a little cliffhanger after each episode.”

Challenges and Creative Decisions

The transition from page and film to a serialized format brought several challenges:

• Pacing: One legal case stretched over an entire season necessitated new subplots, escalations, and cliffhangers.
• Modernization: Updating from the ’90s to the present entailed changes in legal procedure, technology, and cultural references, which required careful research.
• Tone Balance: At times, the tone drifted into sensationalized soap laden with melodrama and romance. The writers had to bring this back on track with Grisham’s legal and emotional urgency.

Writers worked not only to translate but also reinterpret by creating new plotlines and emotional beats unique to television. John Slattery, who plays Leo Drummond, reflects: “We’re not afraid to pivot where it makes sense for today’s TV.”

by Staff Writer

From our in-house editorial team.