The Partner: Everything we know so far about the upcoming John Grisham thriller by Jason Bateman

The Partner is the forthcoming adaptation of John Grisham's legal thriller novel. The film will be directed by Jason Bateman, who is mostly known as an actor but has also had experience in direction and production. He has directed 2013's Bad Words and 2015's The Family Fang. Besides that, Bateman has also produced titles like Superfans: Screaming. Crying. Throwing Up, Game Night, Mansome and Identity Theft.

The forthcoming adaptation was first announced in January 2025. Let us find out all the available information about the film, including who is starring in it and when it might be released, among other things.

Cast and crew of The Partner

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The Partner will be directed by Jason Bateman from a script written by Graham Moore, who had earlier written The Imitation Game. It will star Tom Holland in the role of a junior attorney at a popular law firm who ends up faking his own death to get $90 million from a client. Holland is also serving as the producer of the film. Bateman is also expected to play an important character.

Besides the directorial responsibilities, Bateman will also serve as executive producer along with David Gernert and Grisham. Michael Costigan is the producer under the banner of Aggregate Films. Holland, Will South, and Harry Holland will produce under their own banner. For Rideback, Nick Reynolds and Jonathan Eirich will be executive producing the project. Meanwhile, Ryan Jones and Jacqueline Garell will be supervising the film for Universal Pictures.

What is the plot of The Partner?

The Partner is about a young man who works as a junior attorney for a law firm. He fakes his own death and moves to South America with $90 million from a client. His wife and children are left behind. The story will focus on the act and its aftermath.

The original novel was first published in 1997 by Doubleday and became a best-seller. Hollywood has been trying to adapt it since then. At one point, Saving Mr. Banks director John Lee Hancock wanted to adapt it, but the project did not materialize. So far, there is no news regarding its release.

Bateman was recently seen in the crime thriller miniseries called Black Rabbit, which premiered on September 18, 2025, on Netflix. He also directed two of its episodes and served as an executive producer. Bateman has won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Ozark.