Netflix has ordered The Innocent Man, a new docuseries based on John Grisham's nonfiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, for a December 14 premiere, Deadline reported. The six-part series focuses on two murders that shook the small town of Ada, Okla., in the 1980s and the controversial chain of events that followed.
Directed by Clay Tweel (Finders Keepers, Gleason, Out of Omaha), The Innocent Man features interviews with victims' friends and families, Ada residents, attorneys, journalists and others involved in the cases. Grisham also appears, as does attorney Barry Scheck, co-director of the Innocence Project, Deadline wrote.
"As a filmmaker, I often find that the best stories are the ones we tell ourselves," Tweel said. "But what surprised me was the extent to which that idea also permeates the criminal justice system. By re-examining these old cases, I hope that viewers will identify the biases involved, even their own."
Grisham called the documentary "gripping, compelling, and ultimately just as heartbreaking as the book. Though I know the story well, I can't wait to watch it again."