Jake Gyllenhaal has been a busy man on the big screen in recent years. Whether it’s thwarting Spider-Man’s plans or working as a paramedic under pressure, the Oscar-nominated actor has kept himself occupied, even lending his vocal talents as part of the voice cast for Disney’s Strange World. But may soon finally be able to add "TV lead" to his growing resume, as Gyllenhaal is in the process of landing his first big role on the small screen, and with an Emmy-winning creator to boot.
Gyllenhaal has starred in a few streaming-exclusive features of late, such as the crime thriller The Guilty, and Deadline reports the actor will stick within the digital realm for the "new" series Presumed Innocent, which he is in negotiations to star in and executive produce. The Apple TV+ limited series comes from The Undoing and Lincoln Lawyer creator David E. Kelley, who will be teaming with J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV for the project. Kelley, whose TV credits also include Boston Legal and Big Sky, will serve as the upcoming courtroom thriller's writer, executive producer, and showrunner.
Inspired by the 1987 novel of the same name by esteemed author Scott Turow, Presumed Innocent follows a prosecutor charged with the murder of his colleague. There was a film adaptation of the novel in 1990 starring Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, Raúl Juliá, Bonnie Bedelia, Paul Winfield, and Greta Scacchi. The feature spawned a television miniseries, The Burden of Proof, in 1992, as well as a 2011 television film sequel, Innocent, that aired on TNT.
Presumed Innocent would be reimagined for episode storytelling, with a focus on love, sex, power, and more. Gyllenhall's Rusty Sabich is set to fight to save his family and marriage after he's accused of murder, and he'll have some pretty big shoes to fill given Ford's performance in the original adaptation. Considering Ford is just diving into his own first TV lead role for 1923, he might have all kinds of advice for Gyllenhall's new gig.
Not many other details have been released about Presumed Innocent, but if the series does move forward, it would mark his first major TV role, and could potentially open up the possibility of him doing even more episodic roles. Even if negotiations fall through, this could be the start of a career shift for the Ambulance actor. Though Gyllenhaal is busy filming a movie remake of the '80s classic Road House, so it could also depend on scheduling.
Meanwhile, TV is not the only new territory that Jake Gyllenhaal has taken a liking to lately. Gyllenhaal recently became viral on TikTok after discovering that he previously did a movie with Strange World co-star Dennis Quaid. Does The Day After Tomorrow ring a bell? The two had very few scenes together, and the disaster film did release nearly 20 years ago, so it’s perhaps not so surprising that Gyllenhaal forgot. His reaction and Quaid’s reaction make the video almost as good as the movie itself.
I suggest signing up for an Apple TV+ subscription just in case Jake Gyllenhaal goes forward with Presumed Innocent. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what is coming in the new year to keep you occupied!
