LOS ANGELES AND TORONTO — Entertainment One (eOne), Sony Pictures Television Networks, NBC and Global Television announced today that the highly anticipated drama series "The Firm" commenced production on August 18, 2011 in Toronto, Canada. The one-hour series will be simulcast on Global and NBC and will air on Sony's AXN networks in more than 125 territories around the globe.

Joining the cast in recurring roles are Tricia Helfer as Alex Clark and Shaun Majumder as Andrew Palmer. The series is based on the 1991 best-selling novel by world-renowned author John Grisham ("The Pelican Brief," "The Client").



"The Firm" stars Josh Lucas ("The Lincoln Lawyer," "Sweet Home Alabama") as Mitch McDeere, Callum Keith Rennie ("The Killing," "Californication") as Ray McDeere, Molly Parker ("Deadwood," "Swingtown") as Abby McDeere and Juliette Lewis ("Natural Born Killers," "Cape Fear") as Tammy Hemphill.

The series continues the story of attorney Mitch McDeere who, as a young associate, brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which operated as a front for the Chicago mob. After a difficult decade, McDeere and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future—only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere.

"The Firm" is produced by eOne in association with Sony Pictures Television Networks and Paramount Pictures. The executive producers are Grisham, Lukas Reiter ("Law & Order," "Boston Legal"), John Morayniss ("Haven," "Hung"), Michael Rosenberg ("Hung," "The Riches") and Noreen Halpern ("Rookie Blue," "Call Me Fitz"). David Straiton ("House," "Fringe") is confirmed to direct the two-hour premiere episode and Helen Shaver ("Judging Amy," "Law & Order: SVU") will serve as a co- executive producer and will direct multiple episodes.

eOne Television will retain basic and pay television, broadcast television and digital/DVD rights for the show outside of AXN networks markets and handle distribution of the series worldwide, including the U.S. and Canada.