USA Network’s ‘The Rainmaker’ Trailer Pits a New Rudy Baylor Against John Slattery’s Leo Drummond

USA Network’s The Rainmaker, a cable-TV adaptation of the 1997 feature film — itself an adaptation of John Grisham’s fastest-selling novel — unveiled its trailer on Wednesday.

If you find yourself wondering what is it about this story that keeps drawing people in, well, you’re in good company.

“What is it about this story that keeps drawing people in?” The Rainmaker showrunner Michael Seitzman asked and answered in a note sent to press. “Maybe it’s the David-and-Goliath legal thriller, the dangerous romance or the coming-of-age story. For me, above all, it’s the characters. They jumped off the page in John’s book and were a joy to expand upon in our show. Not to mention, Milo Callaghan, who plays Rudy Baylor, is your next crush.”

Rudy Baylor, your apparent next crush, is fresh out of law school when he spars with “courtroom lion” Leo Drummond (John Slattery), per USA’s description. But that’s not the really scary part: Rudy is also going up against his girlfriend Sarah (Madison Iseman), an attorney at Drummond’s formidable firm.

Baylor’s new firm is, ah, not formidable.

“Rudy, along with his boss, Bruiser (Lana Parrilla), and her disheveled paralegal, Deck (P.J. Byrne), uncover two connected conspiracies surrounding the mysterious death of their client’s son,” the logline reads.

The Rainmaker series, which at the time of its announcement marked USA’s return to scripted television, also stars Dan Fogler, Wade Briggs and Robyn Cara.

The role of Bruiser has been gender-swapped from the book and the film. The 1997 theatrical version of The Rainmaker, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starred Matt Damon in the Rudy Baylor role. Jon Voight was the intimidating Leo F. Drummond, Mickey Rourke was Bruiser and Danny DeVito was Deck.

The Rainmaker the TV show is produced by Lionsgate Television and Blumhouse Television. Seitzman, Grisham, Patrick Moran, Jason Richman, David Gernert and Jason Blum serve as executive producers. Its 10-episode first season starts on Aug. 15 at 10 p.m. on USA Network; episodes will be available to stream on Peacock one week after airing on USA. 

NBCUniversal is spinning off all of its cable assets — save Bravo — into a new, independently operated company called Versant.

Watch the trailer for USA Network’s The Rainkmaker here: