The Lincoln Lawyer Trailer: The Matthew Mcconaughey Movie Becomes A David E. Kelley Netflix Series

Hot off his HBO success, David E. Kelley is turning to another streamer for his latest dramatic saga. The writer and executive producer behind "Big Little Lies" and "The Undoing" is keeping the murder theme going with "The Lincoln Lawyer," a legal thriller with a premise you might just recognize. The series shares a name with Matthew McConaughey's 2011 film, both of which adapt Michael Connelly's series of novels about the criminal defense attorney, Mickey Haller.

The story's been hopping around Hollywood for quite a few years now; back in 2011, Lionsgate hoped to turn it into a full-blown film franchise. When those plans fell through, a series seemed a likely alternative and was initially set up at CBS before Netflix took the wheel. At last, Mickey Haller makes his return to our screens, with a full 10-episodes dedicated to investigating crime and unpacking his life drama. The series is led by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo ("From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series," "The Magnificent Seven"), who you can check out in the trailer below.

The Lincoln Lawyer trailer

Based on the trailer, "The Lincoln Lawyer" is either a car commercial or crime thriller ... or maybe both. Either way, I get the sense that in the same way people argue New York City is the fifth character of "Sex And The City," it won't be too hard to make the case that Mickey Haller's true love interest is his Lincoln Town Car. The first season of the series is based on the events of Connelly's "The Brass Verdict," the second canonical appearance of Haller in the series. Following the death of his former law partner, Haller takes over the firm, which means dealing with all the casework left behind. The twist? Look no further than the title: Mickey isn't your average lawyer, because he isn't one for a prim and proper office space. He operates at his best when cruising down the highway, so instead of a desk, he works out of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car.

While taking on cases across California, Mickey will surely encounter folks who dub him unorthodox, but the series logline settles on "iconoclastic idealist." And like any good crime thriller protagonist, Mickey is more than just his job — he also has personal issues! Most notable is his bubbling tension with his ex-wife, Maggie McPherson, played by "Scream" queen, Neve Campbell. Maggie also happens to be a passionately committed deputy district attorney, meaning the two often knock heads professionally, all while balancing co-parenting for their beloved tween daughter, Hayley.

The 10-episode series sees Mickey mainly focusing on a high-profile case but because his car set-up is too good to waste, he'll also show off his law expertise elsewhere whilst the big case threatens to elude him. As no hard-boiled crime thriller would be complete without intensely spoken cliches like, "Don't ask questions you don't want answers to" or "You need this just as much as I do," the two-minute trailer assures us that the Netflix series is primed to deliver. Along with Garcia-Rulfo and Campbell, the series also stars Becki Newton, Angus Sampson, Jazz Raycole, Christopher Gorham, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Krista Warner, Jamie McShane, Michael Graziadei, LisaGay Hamilton, and Reggie Lee.

"The Lincoln Lawyer" arrives to Netflix on May 13, 2022.