David Farnor | On 27, Jul 2015

Billy Bob Thornton is reportedly in talks to play the lead for Amazon’s original series Trial.

While Amazon usually orders a pilot for public consideration before commissioning a show, Trial, which is created by Ally McBeal’s David E. Kelley, is set fir a 10-episode straight-to-series order.

The legal drama, which was co-written with Kelley’s Boston Legal producer, Jonathan Shapiro, follows a washed-up, alcoholic lawyer, Billy McBride, who goes up against a former partner in a court of law. McBride was originally set to be played by Kevin Costner, but talks with the star fell through. Now, Deadline reports that Thornton is lined up for the role.

Former attorneys Kelley and Shapiro will executive produce Trial with Ross Fineman (FX’s Lights Out). The show will mark Thornton’s first regular TV role in two decades and comes hot on the heels of his turn in FX’s miniseries Fargo, which bagged him a Golden Globe.

The series is expected to be directed by David Semel, who recently helmed the pilot for Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle.

Trial is one of several shows recently picked up by the streaming service, including The Good Girls Revolt, set in the 1970s, The Patriot, a family thriller drama from Steve Conrad, and Edge, a spaghetti Western from Shane Black.

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