Presumed Innocent 2: key information
– The second season was confirmed by Apple TV Plus on July 12
– Jake Gyllenhaal will return as executive producer, but heās not been confirmed to be starring in it again as Rusty Sabich
– Peter Sarsgaard is unlikely to be returning, as he said āheās not interested in sequelsā¦Iām a one-season personā
– Season two will āwill unfold around a suspenseful, brand-new caseā, although it might take inspiration from the two Scott Turow follow-up novels, The Burden of Proof and Innocent, or his new novel, Presumed Guilty, which comes out January 2025
– Executive producer J.J. Abrams ā who is also onboard for season 2 ā said: āWeāre very excited about the possibilities we are discussingā
Such was the success of Presumed Innocent, Apple TV Plusā dark and twisting adaptation of the Scott Turow book of the same name, that the first season hadnāt even ended before it landed a recommission from the streamer.
And while viewers had yet to find out whether Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) did or didnāt murder his mistress, the announcement on July 12 was cheering news for fans of the gripping crime procedural drama.
Now the story has officially wrapped up ā and Forbes claims itās been the streamers most-watched drama of all time ā letās look forward to the second series. This article will explain everything you need to know, from what to expect from the plot (including what Turow book itās based on), new cast lists, when itās likely to be out, and, when it drops, the trailer.
Presumed Innocent 2: does it have a release date?
With the first season of the drama only finishing at the end of July 2024, we wouldnāt expect to see anything until the very earliest at the end of 2025.
Presumed Innocent 2: is there a trailer yet?
New season. New case.Presumed Innocent has been renewed for season 2. pic.twitter.com/FeKFmAWueiJuly 12, 2024
Again, itās not going to take a district attorney to work out that a trailer wonāt be expected until a few weeks before the launch of season two.
Presumed Innocent 2: has a cast been confirmed?
Hereās where things get interesting. Despite Gyllenhaal playing the lead in this series, itās not been immediately confirmed if heās starring in the follow up, although this may change. He is, however, staying on as executive producer, alongside J.J. Abrams, Rachel Rusch Rich, Dustin Thomason, Matthew Tinker, David E. Kelley and Scott Turow.
One person who may not be returning is Gyllenhaalās real-life brother in law, Peter Sarsgaard, who played Tommy Molto. He told IndieWire in August 2024: āIām not really that interested in sequels. I think Iāve only ever done one season of anythingā¦ I think Iām a one-season person.ā
Which would be a shame, as the director Greg Yaitanes told Variety that being brothers-in-law gave the actors a special connection on set: āWhat it did provide was that there was a safety and trust and love there, which I think is important to go as far as they did ā and into nuance as much as they did.ā
J.J. Abrams added to Deadline: āI will say that watching Peter Sarsgaard bring that character to life was such a joy. Heās such a remarkable actor.ā
Presumed Innocent 2: what do we know about the plot?
Apple TV Plus’ official ā but very vague ā synopsis is that season two āwill unfold around a suspenseful, brand-new caseā.
Even one of the exec producers, J.J. Abrams, said that the team didnāt really factor seeding storylines in for a season two in the original series, telling Deadline in July 2024: āWe discussed the possibility of a second season during production, but then Apple brought it up to us in post. Nothing was ever shot to set up a second season. Our focus was telling the story of Carolynās murder and Rustyās trial, and wrapping that up at the end of the first season.ā
He added: āItās too early to talk about what might happen in season 2, but weāre very excited about the possibilities we are discussing.ā
We know that Turow wrote a couple of follow-up novels to Presumed Innocent called The Burden of Proof (1990) which then follows Sandy Stern after the events at the end of Presumed Innocent. And in 2010, there was Innocent, which sees Sabich having (another!) affair, and he is accused of the murder of his wife.
Then, in August 2024, it was announced that Turow would be releasing another book from his hit literary multiverse, Presumed Guilty, which will hit bookshops on January 14, 2025. The case will return back to Rusty Sabich, now a retired judge, as he returns to the courtroom one last time in hopes of keeping his partnerās son out of jail, when the young man becomes a suspect in a missing-person case.
But weāre yet to find out whether any of these will form the basis for the next season, or whether the writers will be given full creative licence to go off the literary piste.
For more Apple TV Plus-related coverage, read our guides on Severance season 2, Ted Lasso season 4, and Slow Horses season 5.
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