Presumed Innocent Season 2 to Ditch Scott Turow Source Material, Adapt Unreleased Novel In Its Place

Presumed Innocent became an instant smash when it debuted on Apple TV+ over the summer.

So it comes as no surprise that what was once a limited series has now been renewed for a second season.

Of course, situations like this usually mean that the showrunners didn’t have a roadmap for future episodes. And in this case, they’ve decided to take a hard left turn into parts unknown.

According to a new report from Deadline, Presumed Innocent Season 2 will ditch the source material that helped to make the first version such a success.

Those episodes were based on the novel of the same name by Scott Turow.

Season 2, however, will adapt a different legal thriller, Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray.

Unfortunately, this one doesn’t come with a built-in audience, like Turow’s wildly popular 1987 book.

In fact, no one has read Dissection of a Murder — for the simple reason that it won’t be released until 2026.

Yes, not since the later seasons of Game of Thrones have we seen a popular series roll the dice by adapting a book that has yet to see the light of day.

It’s a pretty big gamble, made even riskier by the fact that this is Murray’s debut novel.

But the buzz around the book is huge, and the premise sounds like a winner.

The story centers around defense attorney Leila Reynolds, who’s put in charge of her first murder trial.

“She’s way out of her depth but the defendant only wants her — and to make matters worse, her husband is the prosecutor. Soon Leila is fighting to keep her own secrets buried too,” reads a logline.

Needless to say, it sounds like compelling stuff.

Of course, Murray is not yet a beloved veteran of the literary world, a la Turow.

But the first adaptation of her work will carry the banner of an esteemed anthology show.

No premiere date or casting news has been announced, but Presumed Innocent will once again boast an A-list roster of producers, including Jake Gyllenhaal, David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams.

We’ll keep you updated as new production info becomes available.

Over to you, TV fanatics! Are you excited about this major change, or do you wish the writers would’ve imagined further misadventures for the beleaguered Rusty Sabich?

Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!