David E. Kelley Reveals Shocking Twist in ‘Presumed Innocent’ After Filming Started

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David E. Kelley can’t say no to a good story.

Over the last five years, this highly productive writer and series producer has been responsible for creating close to a dozen television shows, such as “Nine Perfect Strangers” on Hulu, “The Undoing” and “Love & Death” on HBO, “Anatomy of a Scandal” and “A Man in Full” on Netflix, and “Presumed Innocent” for Apple TV+, with the upcoming release “Margo’s Hot Money Troubles”.

In the past five years, this prolific creator and showrunner has been busy producing nearly a dozen series including Hulu’s “Nine Perfect Strangers”, HBO’s “The Undoing” and “Love & Death”, Netflix’s “Anatomy of a Scandal” and “A Man in Full”, Apple TV+’s “Presumed Innocent”, and the upcoming “Margo’s Hot Money Troubles”.

Kelley chuckles as she says, ‘I don’t feel compelled to be as busy as I am, but if intriguing projects come along that stir my creativity or resonate with me on a personal level, it’s hard for me to say no.'”

“Kelley laughs and confesses, ‘I’d rather not be this busy, but when projects that spark my creativity or connect with my personality come along, I find it tough to resist.’

1987’s “Presumed Innocent” was a work he couldn’t ignore twice, as Scott Turow’s novel was transformed into the 1990 film starring Harrison Ford when Kelley was just starting out on “L.A. Law.” Although he confesses a lingering envy at not being the author for that project, it simply didn’t align with his creative approach. Instead, Kelley carved out an illustrious career writing original series such as “Ally McBeal” and “The Practice.” It’s only within the past decade that he has ventured into adapting novels, like Liane Moriarty’s “Big Little Lies” and Stephen King’s “Mr. Mercedes.

He’s shared that historically, he wasn’t drawn to adaptations as he believed the driving force behind writing is the concept itself. For him, an idea sparks adrenaline, which leads to writing, while adaptations felt like hammering nails without being the architect. However, his perspective changed after working on ‘Big Little Lies,’ which he enjoyed. He realized that you’re not just working with existing material, but it also gives room for exploration and sometimes deviating from the original path.

Upon discovering that “Presumed Innocent” was within reach, he didn’t hesitate to grab it. In his opinion, it possesses all the elements of an engaging narrative. It’s a captivating legal thriller where the main character, Rusty Sabich (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), is a skilled prosecutor who finds himself accused of murdering his colleague Carolyn (Renate Reinsve), with whom he was embroiled in a tumultuous relationship. However, despite his questionable morals, Rusty remains innocent in both the novel and film. In reality, it was his wife, Barbara, who had killed her husband’s mistress.

However, when Kelley was penning the initial two episodes, he faced a challenging dilemma. Should he uphold the long-standing tradition of Barbara being involved in bloodshed, or offer a fresh twist for an audience who believe they are familiar with this story, having watched it for 38 years? The casting of Oscar-nominated actress Ruth Negga as Barbara played a crucial role in resolving this question.

He believes Ruth plays a crucial role in the storyline. Her character is what keeps viewers invested in Rusty, allowing them to forgive his actions. When Barbara forgives or shows patience towards him, it allows the audience to do the same. The aspect where I believe this series stands out most is its portrayal of the family unit.

Initially, Kelley had confirmed that Negga was cast as the killer. However, as footage from set started to roll in, he found himself doubting this choice. “The human touch that Ruth brings to her character is a significant hurdle for me to accept that she could have committed murder and then concealed it for eight episodes,” he admits. “So, it was Ruth’s performance that provided this doubt.

Instead, he focused on a fresh suspect, giving the series’ extended playtime for viewers to delve deeper into the family’s lives. As a result, Kelley grew to view Rusty and Barbara’s daughter, Jaden (Chase Infiniti), as a potential sinister rival; her intentions, while complex, were reminiscent of why Turow initially selected Barbara as his suspected murderer.

In essence, all the factors that made Barbara an ideal family guardian, even to the point where she might break under pressure, also applied to Jaden. As we continued discussing this, we realized that maintaining the integrity of the character and the underlying material while adding a surprising twist at the end was achievable.”

– The original sentence is a bit complex and uses some technical terms (“infusing”, “kicked it around”) which might not be familiar to everyone. I’ve made it simpler, more straightforward, and easier to understand by using everyday language and avoiding jargon.

This implied that Negga needed to be informed about the possibility of significant alterations in the role she had accepted, a part that Kelley found intriguing due to its dark possibilities. To ensure his concept was convincing, Kelley proposed shooting scenes for both potential outcomes and then convene with Negga and the creative team, including Gyllenhaal, to choose the one that best fit the storyline and characters.

He explains, “We didn’t go ahead with another option as Ruth, upon reviewing the material and discussing it, fully endorsed this as the superior conclusion involving Jaden. She was in full agreement without any hesitation.

As a devoted cinephile, I can’t help but reflect on the heart-wrenching conclusion of that series we all loved. Rusty and Barbara, entangled in their marital turmoil, unwittingly dragged their son Jaden into the fray. In a desperate attempt to mend the family, Jaden believed eliminating his father’s mistress could be the solution – a bitter twist that left us stunned.

Surprisingly, the series was given another chance for a second season, which is set to explore a new legal thriller from an unnamed novel by Kelley. We can hardly wait!

Each season of this show will take on a fresh narrative, setting, and characters, much like ‘True Detective.’ However, we aim to maintain the central themes introduced in the premiere of Season 1 – psychological and legal suspense, character-driven plots, and elements of infidelity and betrayal. So, while Season 2 will be a different entity, it will still belong within the same thematic universe.

It all goes back to Kelley’s inability to say no to a good story, especially one that scares him.

He admits that the line of work we’re engaged in can be challenging, and no project seems effortless. Each one requires a struggle, and it’s beneficial to maintain a reasonable level of apprehension and caution before diving in because, to succeed, you need to acknowledge the challenges involved.

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2025-06-09 20:25