Warner Independent Pictures and Smoke House partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov have picked up screen rights to author John Grisham's non-fiction novel "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town" according to Variety.
"Innocent Man", released this past October, is the true story of a gross miscarriage of justice that sent Ron Williamson to Oklahoma's death row for 11 years for a murder he did not commit. Among the flimsy evidence: eyewitness testimony from the man ultimately convicted of the murder.
The author's first six books "The Firm", "The Pelican Brief", "The Client", "The Rainmaker", "A Time to Kill" and "Runaway Jury" have all been turned into films. The last adaptation of his work was his 2001 book "Skipping Christmas" which became the critically mauled comedy "Christmas With the Kranks".
Grisham is warming again to the idea of film adaptations of his work after a self-imposed hiatus, with discussions already underway for works based on four of his ten remaining books - "Bleachers," "The Broker," "The Testament" and "The Partner".
The deal also marks the second high profile deal WIP & Smoke House have made in the past fortnight for a famous author's work. The other was "L.A. Confidential" and "The Black Dahlia" author James Ellroy's "White Jazz".
