The Rainmaker Book gets a bold TV twist: Showrunner teases Sarah’s first sell-out

The Rainmaker book by John Grisham has got a new TV adaptation that released its premiere episode on August 15, 2025. There are 10 episodes set for the initial season, which will feature an expansion of the classical legal drama that was once seen on the big screens, starring actor Matt Damon.

However, there are differences between the two, even The Rainmaker book might pose a few dissimilarlities between the text and the show, and showrunner Michael Seitzman, explains that it was because he had to adapt the syory into something new while also making sure that the original fanbase and their hopes from from this new project, resonated with the story. 

“I think the film was pretty faithful to the novel, at least as far as the [main] case goes,” Seitzman notes. “But for TV, you’ve got to be able to give it legs to last, in this case, 10 episodes.” 

This idea that the showrunner describes will be executed by broadening the scope of Rudy Baylor's journey. 

What are the changes made on the show that are different from The Rainmaker book? 

First things first, The Rainmaker book sees the plot unfold in Memphis, but the show has taken the liberty to shift the setting to South Carolina. It stars actor Milo Callaghan as Rufy Baylor, the lead. The blueprint of the plot remains the same. Judy is fired on his first day at a big law firm and thus, takes another job with Jocelyn Stone, who is also called 'The Bruiser' in the fictional legal industry. 

Well, this is another changed facet. In the original film, Bruiser was played by Mickey Rourke; however, the show has changed the gender of the character, a pleasant twist nevertheless. 
Rudy is now walking on thin ice, and to prove himself, he must bring in a client. He finds one in Dot Black, who was wronged by a hospital during the death of her son. But there are twists. The hospital in question is represented by the law firm at which Sarah, Rudy's girlfriend, works, and is making a mark for herself. 

What crossroad does Sarah stand at in The Rainmaker? 

The Rainmaker will see Sarah trying to manage both aspects of her life, personal and professional. Her boyfriend, Rudy, is out there, helping those who require his legal aid, while her job is at risk under the influence of her boss, Leo F. Drummond. Explaining her journey, the showrunner says,

"There’s a moment in the book, it’s in the movie, too, where Rudy asks Leo if he remembers the first time he sold out,” Seitzman explains. “And I thought, maybe this show is the story of the first time Sarah sold out. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers here, but what if that’s the story that we see with her? The story of how, in very small increments, you can be tempted to trade in your moral code for ambition.”

The Rainmaker airs episodes weekly on Fridays at 10 PM ET and can be streamed via Peacock a week later.