USA Network has turned The Rainmaker, John Grisham's novel filmed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1997, into a television series. Developed by Michael Seitzman and Jason Richman, the show began on 15 August 2025, and its second season has been airing since 16 October 2026. Lana Parrilla plays Jocelyn 'Bruiser' Stone, a part that in the film belonged to a man, played by Mickey Rourke.
Bruiser Stone becomes a woman
In the novel and the 1997 film, Bruiser Stone is a flamboyant, shady lawyer, played on screen by Mickey Rourke. The series turns the character into a woman and gives the part to Lana Parrilla.
Jocelyn 'Bruiser' Stone runs the strip-mall law firm of her disgraced father, J. Lyman Stone. It is a long way from the big firms and their sober suits: Jocelyn dresses as she pleases and says what she thinks. In an interview with Popternative (video below), Lana Parrilla explains that she looked for a balance between staying faithful to the original character and bringing her own interpretation to it.
'Brassy and ballsy'
The character has been described as 'brassy and ballsy': bold, cheeky and ready to do whatever it takes to win. It is a change from the villains that have marked Lana Parrilla's career, starting with the Evil Queen in Once Upon a Time. Jocelyn Stone is an independent businesswoman who is comfortable with her femininity and her sex appeal, and uses both to get what she wants.
Her wardrobe borrows the excess of Mickey Rourke's Bruiser, with a more modern edge. That gives the character real depth, and she is one of the strengths of the series.
Ten episodes a season
The novel and the film had to tell the whole story in one book or a little over two hours. The series has more time. With ten episodes a season, The Rainmaker can linger on the grey areas of its characters. It mixes courtroom thriller, suspense and moments of comedy, with sharp dialogue.
Season two has been airing on USA Network since 16 October 2026, and episodes are also available on Peacock. Lana Parrilla is back as Jocelyn Stone.
© Video: Popternative