The first season was based on the bestseller of the same name by Scott Turow, but as sources already indicated at the time of the renewal, there was no obvious way to continue the series from Turow's oeuvre.
Season two of the series, produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams and season 1 lead Jake Gyllenhaal and co-produced by Turow, takes a very different path with a female lead character, Leila Reynolds, as the successor to Gyllenhaal's Rusty Sabich.
According to sources, Apple TV+ and production studio Warner Bros. TV acquired the rights to Dissection of a Murder, Jo Murray's upcoming first legal thriller. The book, which will be published by Pam Macmillan in the spring of 2026, follows Leila Reynolds who has just received her first murder case. The case is way over her head, but the suspect only wants her - and to make matters worse, her husband is the prosecutor. Soon Leila fights to keep her own secrets hidden.
Everything is still in flux, but Dissection of a Murder is expected to serve as inspiration for the second season of what is becoming a true anthology series. There was an idea for one or two characters from the debut season to be carried over for continuity in the vein of HBO's The White Lotus; it's unclear if that's still a possibility. Representatives for Apple TV+ and WBTV declined comment.
In its first season, Presumed Innocent became the most-watched drama of all time on Apple TV+, according to the streamer.
In addition to Kelley, Abrams and Gyllenhaal, Dustin Thomason, Matt Tinker and Rachel Rusch Rich return as executive producers. Presumed Innocent comes from Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and David E. Kelley Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Bad Robot has an umbrella deal.
