Since the book had already been adapted before by a relatively popular movie, the show cleverly made some intriguing changes to its story to have its own distinct identity. It was further elevated by the incredible performances of its cast, including Jake Gyllenhaal, Chase Infiniti, Ruth Negga, Renate Reinsve, and Peter Sarsgaard.
Interestingly, even though Presumed Innocent season 1's ending is conclusive, the show is returning for season 2. Instead of adapting another installment of Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent book series in season 2, the Apple TV show is taking a rare adaptation approach. This unique approach could prove to be risky, but it promises to make the series even more fascinating.
Presumed Innocent Season 2’s Source Material Has Nothing To Do With Season 1’s Book
Scott Turow has already written two follow-ups to Presumed Innocent: Innocent and Presumed Guilty. The Apple TV show could have easily picked either of the two books and adapted one of them for the next season. Surprisingly, though, the show is going down the anthology route and adapting a completely unrelated novel in season 2.
As reports confirm, Presumed Innocent season 2 is based on Jo Murray's Dissection of a Murder.
The book has nothing to do with Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent and follows a completely original legal thriller story that centers on a young lawyer named Leila Reynolds. Even the cast members from Presumed Innocent season 1 are not expected to show up in season 2 in any capacity as it features a whole new roster including Rachel Brosnahan, Jack Reynor, Matthew Rhys, and Fiona Shaw, among others.
While there are quite a few crime thriller anthologies out there, Presumed Innocent's approach is incredibly unique. 2017's Sinner was also based on a book of the same name by Petra Hammesfahr. Like Presumed Innocent, the show was initially expected to be a miniseries. However, similar to Presumed Innocent, it was renewed for another season after being commercially successful.
Sinner, too, took the anthology route and lasted for three more seasons before ending its run. However, unlike Presumed Innocent, Sinner did not adapt any new books in its newer seasons. Instead, it reimagined season 1's formula in subsequent installments to tell original standalone mysteries.
Presumed Innocent Is A Rare Anthology That Picks 2 Distinct Books In 2 Different Seasons
Almost no other show of the crime thriller genre has taken the same approach as Presumed Innocent. In more ways than one, this makes the Apple TV series' upcoming installment even more exciting. Jo Murray's Dissection of a Murder has already earned positive reviews after its release in May 2026. The book boasts an impressive 4.1/5 rating on Goodreads with over 30K ratings.
The book's early reception alone is a good indicator of how incredible Apple TV's upcoming adaptation can be. With talented stars like Rachel Brosnahan, Jack Reynor, Matthew Rhys as its leads, Presumed Innocent season 2 seems even more promising.
Since many viewers were already familiar with the Harrison Ford movie's take on the original Presumed Innocent novel, the Apple TV show only had little room for experimentation because the broad strokes of the story were already well known. By adapting a recently published legal thriller, Presumed Innocent season 2 has much more creative freedom to surprise audiences while still remaining faithful to its source material.
If all goes well for the Apple TV show in season 2, it could avoid the sophomore slump that often affects anthology series and even pave the way for more fascinating book adaptations in its upcoming installments.
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