Mark Wahlberg is in early talks to produce and star in New Regency's adaptation of the John Grisham novel The Partner.  The legal thriller revolves around "a young partner in a prominent law firm who fakes his own death to steal a fortune from his company before starting a new life in Brazil."  Wahlberg would board the project with his producing partner Stephen Levinson (Contraband).  John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) was attached to write and direct the adaptation, but Variety hears Hancock is no longer involved with the project.  The studio is now on the search to replace Hancock.

Read a synopsis for The Partner after the jump.

the-partner-book-cover

They watched Danilo Silva for days before they finally grabbed him. He was living alone, a quiet life on a shady street in Brazil; a simple life in a modest home, certainly not one of luxury. Certainly no evidence of the fortune they thought he had stolen. He was much thinner and his face had been altered. He spoke a different language, and spoke it very well.But Danilo had a past with many chapters. Four years earlier he had been Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a prominent Biloxi law firm. He had a pretty wife, a new daughter, and a bright future. Then one cold winter night Patrick was trapped in a burning car and died a horrible death. When he was buried his casket held nothing more than his ashes.From a short distance away, Patrick watched his own burial. Then he fled. Six weeks later, a fortune was stolen from his ex-law firm's offshore account. And Patrick fled some more. But they found him. [Amazon]

This obviously won't be the first Grisham adaptation.  The list of feature films includes:

  • The Firm (1993)
  • The Pelican Brief (1993)
  • The Client (1994)
  • A Time to Kill (1996)
  • The Chamber (1996)
  • The Rainmaker (1997)
  • The Gingerbread Man (1998)
  • Runaway Jury (2003)
  • Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Wait, really, Christmas with the Kranks?  Huh.  Grisham really is due for a big screen comeback.