Latest news with #JohnGrisham
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Rainmaker' Stars John Slattery and Milo Callaghan Talk Bringing One of John Grisham's Most Popular Books to Life (Exclusive)
'The Rainmaker' Stars John Slattery and Milo Callaghan Talk Bringing One of John Grisham's Most Popular Books to Life (Exclusive) originally appeared on Parade. It's no easy feat to do an adaptation, let alone one that spans multiple genres. But that's exactly what the team behind The Rainmaker took when they decided to create a TV series around John Grisham's book of the same name. One of the most popular novels from the bestselling author, it was adapted into a 1997 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt Damon. But, given the pressure to deliver in comparison to the book and movie, true to the nature of his character as a young upstart lawyer, Rudy Baylor, Milo Callaghan is as cool as a cucumber. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 "We're making our own version," he says in an exclusive interview with Parade. "I think the source material is so iconic with the film. Particularly for me, following in Matt Damon's footsteps, I think he's fantastic. And to stand on the shoulders of such a giant, I really wanted to honor that performance. So I did watch the film. I read the book while we were shooting. I sort of paid attention to them, appreciated them. Then put them to the side." "In reading the scripts, it was apparent that the changes had been made that there was so significant that the relevance of any of the prior material was limited," adds co-star John Slattery. "So you watch the film, just to sort of have points of reference, read the book. And the scripts were written early on. And so that's what you go on." The series, which premiered on USA on Aug. 15, is a legal drama that centers on a court case involving a wrongful death suit against a man who died in hospital care. On the prosecution is Rudy, a law student newly employed by "ambulance chaser" Jocelyn "Bruiser" Stone (Lana Parilla). On the defense is notable courtroom "shark" – and Rudy's boss for a short period of time – Leo F. Drummond (Slattery). Related: In the premiere, during Rudy's brief tenure under Drummond at the Tinley Britt law firm, the latter says, when speaking about getting a winning court verdict, "What determines victory is not the truth." That quickly strikes a nerve with Rudy, who is fired after contesting the veteran lawyer. But the line speaks to a larger concept we're dealing with in this day and age: A "post-truth" society, where hard and fast facts may lose out to an emotional narrative. "I think we unfortunately do live in a period where the truth doesn't matter, or doesn't seem to matter," Slattery says. "The difference is, in the courtroom, as he says, it's not whether it's true, it's convincing the jury that it's true. You're telling a story to the jury, and you're hoping that they buy it. And in Leo's case, he'll bend the truth if he has to." "It's an unfortunate period where, whether it's the current leadership, or whether it's the internet or AI," the Mad Men star continues. "I mean, there are many truths, and people will navigate by what they think is the truth, and it seems to be all over the place. I think Leo knows the difference between when you step into the courtroom and what you're trying to achieve, versus the greater reality, at least. I think he's convinced himself that that's what he's up to." Related: Rudy and Drummond's clashing is not just one of prosecution vs. defense or different ideals, but of generations. Callaghan, much like his character, is taking on his first major role since arriving on the scene in 2020. And he's learned much under the tutelage of industry veterans like Slattery, Parilla and Dan Fogler. "I don't want to overcompliment John. But he's a powerhouse, and I learned such an incredible amount from getting to spend time with him. We have such a brilliant group of creatives. But in particular, between [Slattery] and Dan Fogler, that idea of not doing it the same way twice, it felt so playful. John has such a big heart. It's been a real pleasure." Subsequently, The Rainmaker was a great opportunity for Slattery to be able to impart some advice to Callaghan and the next generation of Hollywood actors. "I had such a good time working with Milo," the four-time Emmy nominee says. "For a guy who's as young as he is, and new to all this as he may be, he has a wisdom beyond his years. And he works incredibly hard. You get in there and you're just two equals. You're just trying to figure out the beats of the story and give some options to the post-production process. There are questions that he has, and you try to answer them as well as you can. But it's really just the doing of it that is the education." New episodes of The Rainmaker air Fridays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on USA.'The Rainmaker' Stars John Slattery and Milo Callaghan Talk Bringing One of John Grisham's Most Popular Books to Life (Exclusive) first appeared on Parade on Aug 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
How to watch 'The Rainmaker' TV legal drama online from anywhere
Adapted from the best-selling novel by John Grisham (like the 1997 movie of the same name), 10-part series "The Rainmaker" has been repackaged for a new generation but the story is essentially the same – an underdog with nothing to lose takes on the legal establishment and its corrupt corporate paymasters... Here's how to watch the "The Rainmaker" TV show from anywhere with a VPN. "The Rainmaker" premieres on USA Network on Friday, August 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and streams on Peacock one week later.• U.S. — USA Network via Sling/Fubo/Peacock (delayed)• CA — USA Network via CTV/ Crave (August 16)• AUS — Stan (August 16)• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN risk-free But there's more to it than that. Rudy Baylor (played by Milo Callaghan) is the hot shot rookie legal eagle who gets fired from a prestigious firm and ends up in a small-time practice with no ambition but takes on a wrongful-death lawsuit after a black man dies under hospital care. But who is representing the medical institution? You guessed it, his former employer in the intimidating figure of lead attorney Leo F. Drummond (John Slattery) plus, for extra measure, his former girlfriend Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman). The odds are stacked against him from the start but he digs deep into the case and brings the best out of his new colleagues. Read on to find out how to watch "The Rainmaker" (2025) online and from anywhere. "The Rainmaker" premieres on USA Network in the U.S. on Friday, August 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and streams on Peacock one week later. Peacock subscriptions start from only $10.99/month. Or get 12 months for the price of 10 on either tier by signing up for an annual plan. Americans away from home will need one of the best VPNs to log in to use Peacock as it will be geo-blocked when abroad. We recommend NordVPN. You'll find "The Rainmaker" available to stream on Peacock from Friday, August 22 - one week after it has been broadcast on USA Network. It also has the rights to live NFL, WWE, EPL and a huge library of binge-worthy content. Some of the best Peacock shows include "The Day of The Jackal" and "The Traitors U.K." season 3. Thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), the "The Rainmaker" should be available no matter where you are. VPN software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you find yourself. Our favorite is NordVPN – and you can find out why in our NordVPN review. There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 110+ countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get 70% off with this NordVPN deal Using a VPN is incredibly simple, just follow these steps. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away in the U.K., and want to view your usual U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to Peacock and watch the "The Rainmaker" (2025). "The Rainmaker" premieres in Canada on Friday, August 15 on USA Network via CTV and is then available to stream the next day on Crave. Crave subscriptions start at $9.99 per month for its Basic plan, up to $22 per month for Premium. Those on vacation away from Canada could try NordVPN to log in back home to watch the 2025 TV adaptation of the classic movie. In Australia, "The Rainmaker" premieres on Stan on Saturday, August 16. If you're an American Down Under, you can watch the show on your own domestic streaming platform via a VPN instead. Our favorite VPN service right now is NordVPN. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, "The Rainmaker" does not have a release date in the U.K. If that changes you will hear about it here first. Traveling in the U.K.? Don't panic. You can watch the show on your own domestic streaming platform via a VPN instead. Our favorite VPN service right now is NordVPN – try it risk-free and save over 70% off the 2-year plan. The movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starred Matt Damon in the Rudy Baylor role with Jon Voight as Leo F. Drummond, Mickey Rourke as Bruiser (gender-swapped from the book and the film for the TV series) and Danny DeVito as Deck. Dublin and County Wicklow with locations like St. Mary's Hospital in Phoenix Park standing in for the 'North City Hospital.' We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Rainmaker Stars Reveal How the Iconic Book Came to Life
Originally appeared on E! Online Court is now in session. Nearly three decades after John Grisham's best-selling legal novel The Rainmaker first graced screens in Frances Ford Coppola's star-studded 1997 film, John Slattery and Milo Callaghan are breathing new life into the story with their USA Network courtroom drama. And that means taking a whole lot of creative liberties to stretch the story it across the 10-episode first season. 'The departures were pretty significant,' Slattery told E! News in an exclusive joint interview with Callaghan, 'and having read the book and seen the movie, you look at the scripts and the source material is only relevant to a certain degree. Then you just shoot scene by scene and hope they stack up to something interesting.' Those departures went far beyond those like Lana Parilla stepping into the role of the previously male role of 'Bruiser' Stone, the legal adversary to Slattery's Leo Drummond. In fact, the case that jumpstarts the career of new law grad Rudy Baylor (Callaghan) is transformed from the book's insurance bad faith suit to a hospital wrongful death—complete with an unnerving, slippery nurse (Dan Fogler) looming in the background. More from E! Online And Just Like That Season 3: How Finale Ended the Sex and the City Story After 27 Years Jason Kelce Gets Emotional Over Taylor Swift's Adorable Comment About Travis Kelce Travis Kelce Shares Heart-Melting Reason He Wanted to Date Taylor Swift After Eras Tour And then there's Rudy himself, whose legal course is defined by his quest to live up to the legacy of his late, aspiring lawyer brother John. 'I'm a brother, and if I lost a brother in that way, I think that would really create a chasm in my in my life that you spend the rest of your life trying to stitch up, essentially,' Callaghan explained. 'And his brother, we don't know too much about his brother at the beginning, other than he was going to be a lawyer and he was a high achiever.' Those are big shoes to fill, and for Rudy, balancing his ambition and fierce principles come at a cost, namely the brand-new job at the glossy firm run by Leo Drummond, where his girlfriend Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman) quickly finds herself on the rise. Ultimately, Callaghan sees Rudy's crashing and burning right off the bat as a crucial course-correction, sharing, 'I really think that when he's fired, good luck or bad luck, who knows, but it puts him on a trajectory which brings him back to himself.' In fact, it leads to Rudy facing off against Leo—and Sarah—as he attempts to hold the hospital they represent accountable after the death of a patient in its care. With that, the cast spent a lot of time immersing themselves in the 'quite rigorous legal academia,' as Callaghan put it. Crucially, however, viewers don't need three years of law school to unpack all the rapid-fire legalese—in large part thanks to Slattery's character. 'Leo's function was also to sort of explain,' the Mad Men alum noted. 'Somebody would say something, and I, as Leo, would say, 'Well, what he actually means is, you know, blah, blah, blah' to the jury and try to win them over that way. Like he's trying to be highfalutin here, but what he's really saying is to the audience as well.' Though audiences are just getting introduced to this newest iteration of Rudy Baylor and Leo Drummond, the stars are already raring to go for another courtroom showdown in a possible second season. And for them, it's an opportunity to explore the Rainmaker world outside the framework of the 1995 novel. 'I would definitely be interested,' Slattery shared, though the Spotlight alum admitted that as for what it would look like, 'I don't know what I don't know. That's a common thing where the first season is the book or source material, and then if it were to go further, you'd have to cook up a whole other scenario—which I'm sure they're more than capable of doing.' After all, Grisham has written more than 50 books—including dozens of best-selling legal thrillers—making for ample material to possibly pull from. 'Get a little Grisham universe going,' Callaghan posited. 'I'd be up for that.' The Rainmaker premieres August 15 on USA Network. For more books set to become movies and shows in the coming months, keep reading… Season 3My Oxford YearThe Thursday Murder Club Season 5Regretting YouWicked: For GoodHamnetThe HousemaidReminders of HimSeason 4The HusbandsFive-Star WeekendMidnight SunLucky For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
USA Network is bringing back scripted TV. First up? John Grisham's 'The Rainmaker'
Since 2021, the USA Network had stacked its lineup with reality shows and sports, entirely forgoing original, scripted programming. Fans of "Suits', 'White Collar' and 'Monk' were left with only memories of those shows' case-of-the-week storytelling. But on Friday, the network returns to scripted TV with the legal thriller 'The Rainmaker.' If the title sounds familiar, it's because it's based on the 1995 novel by John Grisham, which was first adapted into the 1997 Matt Damon-starring film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In this 'Rainmaker,' British actor Milo Callaghan plays Rudy Baylor. It's the first leading role for Callaghan, who had previously played recurring characters in shows like HBO's 'Dune: Prophecy" and Starz's 'The Spanish Princess.' Baylor is fresh out of law school and about to start working at the largest law firm in the state, run by Leo F. Drummond (John Slattery). On his first day, Baylor gets fired after challenging Drummond in a meeting. Desperate for work, he takes a job at a small ambulance-chasing firm that works out of a former taco joint. His boss is Jocelyn 'Bruiser' Stone (Lana Parrilla, in a gender swap from the film where Mickey Rourke had the role). She's smart, confident and not afraid to use her sex appeal to get what she wants. Rudy's first big case pits him against the big, fancy law firm that let him go — and his girlfriend who still works there. Callaghan told The Associated Press about learning legalese while doing a Memphis accent and familiarizing himself with the source material. Answers are edited for clarity and brevity. AP: Did you watch 'The Rainmaker' film? CALLAGHAN: I watched it when I got cast. Matt Damon is somebody that every young actor would look up to. I wanted to be aware of the work that he did. I mean, it was a Coppola movie as well, so I was excited to see it. And then I gave it maybe like 20 minutes' thought and focused on the script because it is different and I think we have 10 hours of television to explore this character. We go on a windier road than the movie. AP: Did you read the novel as well and did that help to find your version of Rudy? CALLAGHAN: Yes. It's a slow-paced thriller, really, but fantastic. And there's this chunk, it must be about 100 pages, of him just preparing for this case for months and months and months. So I never wanted it to feel like it was off-the-hand genius. It felt like this is a situation that has to be honored to a certain extent. Like, you can be a fantastic lawyer, but you don't get there without grinding and grafting. We had great scenes where we were working late into the night. AP: Did learning your lines to play a lawyer also have you working late? CALLAGHAN: You prep a court scene, and it's eight pages, and it is a deposition. And you know it and you've worked on it and you're ready to go to sleep, and it's quarter to midnight, and you have an email saying, 'We've rewritten this scene and we're shooting it at 8 a.m.' And you're like, 'Not only am I relearning all this, but I have to go back through the dialect to make sure that this is airtight.' It was definitely an extra component that I probably lost a bit of sleep over. AP: You're also British and Rudy Baylor is from Tennessee. How did you lose your accent and master a Southern one? CALLAGHAN: Consistent work with a great dialogue coach. I remember I got there on my first day and I was running lines with P.J. Byrne, who plays Deck, and he's kind of looking at me funny. He's like, 'Why are you talking like that?' I was like, "What do you mean? Because we start filming in three days." I was pronouncing everything phonetically because that was the way I learned. I had to really work on paring it back into a place that felt so natural. For a movie, you might get away with it, but for 10 hours of television, it just has to be light, it has to be quick, it has to be at your fingertips. AP: Was there a word that gave you trouble? CALLAGHAN: 'North City Hospital.' It was the hardest thing. I was like, 'Why did you call it this?" I got all this legalese down and then 'North City Hospital' would shoot me in the foot every time. AP: There are also differences between U.K. and American law. Did you study U.S. law? CALLAGHAN: I went through major trials, like the whole O.J. Simpson murder trial and the Gwyneth Paltrow trial. And also obscure trials. I studied attorneys and their patterns of speech and the way they address the court. We don't really have the same kind of pop star element to the legal system of like, 'That's the guy who represented this person and that person.' Studying that is fascinating.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
USA Network is bringing back scripted TV. First up? John Grisham's 'The Rainmaker'
Since 2021, the USA Network had stacked its lineup with reality shows and sports, entirely forgoing original, scripted programming. Fans of 'Suits', 'White Collar' and 'Monk' were left with only memories of those shows' case-of-the-week storytelling. But on Friday, the network returns to scripted TV with the legal thriller 'The Rainmaker.' If the title sounds familiar, it's because it's based on the 1995 novel by John Grisham, which was first adapted into the 1997 Matt Damon-starring film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In this 'Rainmaker,' British actor Milo Callaghan plays Rudy Baylor. It's the first leading role for Callaghan, who had previously played recurring characters in shows like HBO's 'Dune: Prophecy' and Starz's 'The Spanish Princess.' Baylor is fresh out of law school and about to start working at the largest law firm in the state, run by Leo F. Drummond (John Slattery). On his first day, Baylor gets fired after challenging Drummond in a meeting. Desperate for work, he takes a job at a small ambulance-chasing firm that works out of a former taco joint. His boss is Jocelyn 'Bruiser' Stone (Lana Parrilla, in a gender swap from the film where Mickey Rourke had the role). She's smart, confident and not afraid to use her sex appeal to get what she wants. Rudy's first big case pits him against the big, fancy law firm that let him go — and his girlfriend who still works there. Callaghan told The Associated Press about learning legalese while doing a Memphis accent and familiarizing himself with the source material. Answers are edited for clarity and brevity. AP: Did you watch 'The Rainmaker' film? CALLAGHAN: I watched it when I got cast. Matt Damon is somebody that every young actor would look up to. I wanted to be aware of the work that he did. I mean, it was a Coppola movie as well, so I was excited to see it. And then I gave it maybe like 20 minutes' thought and focused on the script because it is different and I think we have 10 hours of television to explore this character. We go on a windier road than the movie. AP: Did you read the novel as well and did that help to find your version of Rudy? CALLAGHAN: Yes. It's a slow-paced thriller, really, but fantastic. And there's this chunk, it must be about 100 pages, of him just preparing for this case for months and months and months. So I never wanted it to feel like it was off-the-hand genius. It felt like this is a situation that has to be honored to a certain extent. Like, you can be a fantastic lawyer, but you don't get there without grinding and grafting. We had great scenes where we were working late into the night. AP: Did learning your lines to play a lawyer also have you working late? CALLAGHAN: You prep a court scene, and it's eight pages, and it is a deposition. And you know it and you've worked on it and you're ready to go to sleep, and it's quarter to midnight, and you have an email saying, 'We've rewritten this scene and we're shooting it at 8 a.m.' And you're like, 'Not only am I relearning all this, but I have to go back through the dialect to make sure that this is airtight.' It was definitely an extra component that I probably lost a bit of sleep over. AP: You're also British and Rudy Baylor is from Tennessee. How did you lose your accent and master a Southern one? CALLAGHAN: Consistent work with a great dialogue coach. I remember I got there on my first day and I was running lines with P.J. Byrne, who plays Deck, and he's kind of looking at me funny. He's like, 'Why are you talking like that?' I was like, 'What do you mean? Because we start filming in three days.' I was pronouncing everything phonetically because that was the way I learned. I had to really work on paring it back into a place that felt so natural. For a movie, you might get away with it, but for 10 hours of television, it just has to be light, it has to be quick, it has to be at your fingertips. AP: Was there a word that gave you trouble? CALLAGHAN: 'North City Hospital.' It was the hardest thing. I was like, 'Why did you call it this?' I got all this legalese down and then 'North City Hospital' would shoot me in the foot every time. AP: There are also differences between U.K. and American law. Did you study U.S. law? CALLAGHAN: I went through major trials, like the whole O.J. Simpson murder trial and the Gwyneth Paltrow trial. And also obscure trials. I studied attorneys and their patterns of speech and the way they address the court. We don't really have the same kind of pop star element to the legal system of like, 'That's the guy who represented this person and that person.' Studying that is fascinating.
