AceShowbiz - Matthew McConaughey is preparing to head back into the courtroom to star in a limited series as a sequel to movie classic "A Time to Kill".

The "Dallas Buyers Club" star brought Jake Brigance to life onscreen in the 1996 film adaptation of John Grisham's 1989 book of the same name, and last year (2020), McConaughey admitted he was "seriously considering" reprising the role for the author's latest follow-up, "A Time for Mercy", after receiving an advance copy of the October release.

The 51-year-old Oscar winner also promoted the book in a September 2020 post. "Jake Brigance is back. A Time For Mercy by John Grisham comes out October 13th," he simply wrote along side a phot of him seriously reading the novel.

Now Deadline sources have revealed McConaughey is in final negotiations to board the project, which will be developed for U.S. network bosses at HBO. Officials have yet to appoint a writer and director, but industry veteran Lorenzo di Bonaventura will be among the producers.

"A Time to Kill" starred McConaughey as a lawyer tasked with defending Samuel L. Jackson's character after he is accused of murdering two white men who had raped his 10-year-old daughter in a small town in Mississippi. It also starred Sandra Bullock, and Kiefer Sutherland and Donald Sutherland, and was directed by Joel Schumacher.

In "A Time for Mercy", Brigance becomes the court-appointed attorney for a shy 16-year-old boy facing the death penalty for allegedly killing a local deputy. The limited series itself is said to being developed as eight to ten episode show.

Grisham had previously published "Sycamore Row", a direct sequel to "A Time to Kill", in 2013.