Josh Lucas to Star in 'The Firm'

You may think of Josh Lucas as Reese Witherspoon's true love in the 2002 film Sweet Home Alabama; or as Russell Crowe's math-whizzy rival in 2001's A Beautiful Mind; or as one of those very unlucky cruise ship passengers in 2006's Poseidon. But the 39-year-old actor is about to take on a new -- perhaps familiar -- persona. According to Deadline, Lucas is in final negotiations to star as Mitchell McDeere in NBC's midseason drama The Firm.

And yes, it's The Firm you know -- based on John Grisham's 1991 legal thriller that led to the blockbuster 1993 film starring Tom Cruise as unwitting attorney-to-the-mob Mitch McDeere.

Lucas is considered a big catch for the TV version. According to Deadline, he's "been heavily pursued for series in the past few years but had largely stayed away before he responded to the script for The Firm."

Actually, the idea does sound pretty cool. The TV series picks up 10 years after McDeere's climactic exposé of his prestigious (but secretly mob-tied) law firm. After spending time in the Federal Witness Protection Program, he and his family are hoping to reclaim their identities and move forward with their lives. Sadly, there's little chance of that, as old foes and new threats emerge.

NBC has ordered 22 episodes of The Firm, which will start airing mid-season (probably January or February) on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/josh-lucas-star-firm/1-a-354986

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