'The Firm': Exclusive First Look At NBC's New Legal Drama With Josh Lucas (VIDEO)

You might've read "The Firm" or seen the movie adaptation with Tom Cruise based on John Grisham's bestselling legal thriller, but NBC's new show has a very interesting twist.

We've got an exclusive five-minute sneak peek at footage from the show (two-hour series premiere Sun., Jan. 8, 9 p.m. EST on NBC; airs Thursdays, 10 p.m. beginning Jan. 12). Plus, there's commentary from Grisham, stars Josh Lucas, Molly Parker, Juliette Lewis and Callum Keith Rennie, and the show's writers and executive producers.

"It's original, even though it's sort of a sequel," Grisham says. "The show picks up about 10 years after the events of what people know of as 'The Firm,'" executive producer Lukas Reiter adds. "We pick up with Mitch and tell the backstory of the fact that he and his family had to go into witness protection."

Lucas, who's playing Mitch McDeere, the role Cruise made famous on the big screen, shares what it's like taking on such an iconic role. "Mitch is a very complex man in that he's a very smart, very independent, very resourceful, I think brilliant lawyer in many ways," Lucas explains. "You have the great responsibility of taking on a character who is as famous and infamous as any character that John Grisham has ever written."

So will fans of the original like this new take? Grisham certainly thinks so. "I think most people who are fans of the story are going to be very, very excited to see it again in a different incarnation, a different version."

Comments

[Carlynn Lawrence]

01:14 PM on 01/16/2012

I watched it, its good. However I found it a little dumb to not change his name. If you go into witness protective to keep yourself safe, why would you chance it later. Especially having a child to protect. Other then that it was good. I love Josh Lucas, he could recite the phone book and I would DVR it.

[PinkyToe]

12:10 PM on 12/29/2011

Wow, could this guy be the new Jack Bauer? If so, I'm in.

[jayne rives]

09:41 PM on 12/23/2011

I'm sorry but I just can't get past the stupidity of going back to using your real name when you were involved in something so large you had to go into Witness Protection. Sure okay no one is looking you say, but by taking up that name you just make it so they don't have to look. You are telling them where you are.

[lacasarosada]

09:23 PM on 12/23/2011

I think Josh Lucas deserves an Emmy nomination just for shaving

[Carlynn Lawrence]

01:07 PM on 01/16/2012

Amen!

[VegasBabe]

03:56 PM on 12/23/2011

Read the book, saw the movie, loved both! And Josh Lucas is just a delight to look at. This has the potential to be very, very good with the right writers. Fingers crossed!!!!!

[sabelmouse]

09:05 AM on 12/23/2011

i believe callum keith rennie is in this. i might give it a try. i should really read the book.

[Help USA Taxpayer]

02:14 AM on 12/23/2011

I watched "Mercy" on NBC then they canceled it after one season, I watched "Trauma" then they canceled it after one year, This fall I watched "Prime Suspect" and they canceled it after half a year ==============================
NO WAY will I invest time in NBC programming again

[HarpoSnarx]

11:13 AM on 12/24/2011

Ah, would you mind tuning into the Faux News evening lineup?

That's a heavy burden I realize, how about just the OLielly hour.

[MikeDu]

01:07 AM on 12/23/2011

What'll save (or sink) the series is the writing staff. Please please please don't go the route of the Playboy Club and sink all your money into atmospherics but forget to hire writers.

[Ryan Webster]

10:52 PM on 12/22/2011

I will watch this show to support one of my fav actors Josh Lucas. But I'm nervous because of NBC's track record of not giving their properties full marketing support. I hope they won't cancel it before its time.

[laddieluv]

09:13 PM on 12/22/2011

I'd watch Josh Lucas read the phone book. grins.

[BlackJAC]

06:31 PM on 12/22/2011

I have my doubts, simply because Grisham's entire body of work is composed of one-shots rather than anything resembling a series--Dominic Dunne and Carl Hiaasen, for example, have shared characters across their books.

[signgrrl]

09:14 PM on 12/22/2011

ah, 2 of my favorite authors. SO miss Dominic Dunne. i sent him Christmas cards for years.

[DennyCrane]

05:17 PM on 12/22/2011

At least the lead can act unlike the guy from the movie.

[Boopsie2008]

04:22 PM on 12/22/2011

This should be really interesting. I've watched several of Josh Lucas' indie films as well as his big-budget successes, and he's a really complex actor. I'm hoping that this is the perfect vehicle for him, because the show's premise has legs.

[Olderandwiser55]

12:40 AM on 12/23/2011

Me too. I'm excited about this one.

[devinmcmusters]

04:18 PM on 12/22/2011

The Firm was a great book, but the Cruise movie was hideous. I hope the series is more like the book, and less like TC.

[trobts]

03:09 PM on 12/22/2011

Oh yeah, I'll be there to watch!