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Jason Bateman in Talks to Direct Universal’s “The Partner

The long-delayed John Grisham adaptation has reentered active development at Universal under a new creative team.

Overview

  • Bateman is negotiating to direct and will executive produce through Aggregate Films, with Michael Costigan producing.
  • Tom Holland is producing via his Billy 17 banner and is being eyed to play Patrick Lanigan pending a finalized deal.
  • Rideback controls the rights, Jonathan Eirich will produce and Nick Reynolds will executive produce, with Graham Moore having written a previous draft.
  • The story follows a young Biloxi attorney who fakes his death, steals $90 million and builds a new life in South America before confronting the fallout.
  • The project, once set up at New Regency with John Lee Hancock attached, is now at Universal with executives Ryan Jones and Jacqueline Garell overseeing, and no production timeline announced.