defending Jacob: release date, cast, storyline, trailer release, and everything you need to know.

Based on William Landay’s 2012 novel of the same name, Defending Jacob is an American crime drama miniseries produced by Apple TV+. Morten Tyldum directed the series, which Mark Bomback developed and wrote. Starring are J.K. Simmons, Sakina Jaffrey, Betty Gabriel, Cherry Jones, Jaeden Martell, Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, and Pablo Schreiber. April 24, 2020 was the debut date, and May 29, 2020 was the end.

Critics gave the series mostly positive reviews, noting the ambiguity, emotional weight, and performances (especially those of Evans, Dockery, and Martell), but criticizing the pacing, length, and conclusion. Paramount Home Entertainment released the miniseries on Blu-ray and DVD on July 6, 2021.

Premise

Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber and his wife Laurie deal with the accusation that their 14-year-old son Jacob may be a murderer.

Main Cast

Chris Evans in the role of Andrew “Andy” Stephen Barber

Amy Dockery in the role of Laurie Barber

Jacob “Jake” Barber, played by Jaeden Martell

Cherry Jones in the role of Joanna Klein

Neal Logiudice, played by Pablo Schreiber

Pam Duffy, played by Betty Gabriel

As Lynn Canavan, Sakina Jaffrey

Recurring

As William “Bloody Billy” Barber, J. K. Simmons

Henshall Daniel as Leonard Patz

Derek Yoo, played by Ben Taylor

Jordan Sarah Grohl, played by Alexa Davis

Joan Rifkin, played by Megan Byrne

Christopher Buckner in a flashback as Young William “Bloody Billy” Barber

Dan Rifkin played by Patrick Fischler

Vogel (Poorna Jagannathan)

Flashbacks featuring Lizzie Short as Marianne Barber

Flashbacks featuring Evan Risser as a young Andy Barber

Father James O’Leary, played by William Xifaras

Guy from the Food Truck, Lenny Clarke

As Paula Gianetto, Michelle D. Violette

Episodes

Number of episodes: 1, title: “Pilot” Morten Tyldum directed, Mark Bomback wrote the teleplay, and the original release date was April 24, 2020.

Andy Barber is questioned by Assistant District Attorney Neal Loguidice in front of a grand jury. Some months prior, Andy was a well-respected ADA himself, leading a happy suburban life in Newton, Massachusetts, with his wife Laurie and their 14-year-old son Jacob. Despite Loguidice’s complaints that Andy’s presence could create a conflict of interest, Andy is given the case when Ben Rifkin, a classmate of Jacob’s, is found fatally murdered in the park near their middle school. Despite questioning pupils at the school, Andy and Detective Pam Duffy are unable to ascertain the motive for the murder.

While questioning Jacob privately about Ben, Jacob tells Andy and Laurie that Ben was unlikable and later expresses frustration to Andy over the exaggerated false sympathy from his classmates over Ben’s death. Duffy discovers a possible suspect, Leonard Patz, a convicted sexual predator, but Andy is advised against bringing him in until they find solid evidence. That night, Andy discovers an online message board memorializing Ben and becomes disturbed after reading a series of comments, including one from Jacob’s friend Derek, accusing Jacob of murdering Ben. Andy searches Jacob’s room and finds a knife fitting the description of the murder weapon hidden in a sock in his drawer.

Second episode Title: “Everything Is Cool” April 24, 2020, Morten Tyldum, director; Mark Bomback, teleplay

Jacob is confronted by Andy and Laurie regarding the knife and message board. Jacob maintains that the remarks are pointless and that he never wielded the knife. Andy throws the knife away. Leonard Patz is taken into custody by the police to be questioned, but they are unable to link him to the murder, so they release him. Shortly after, Andy is informed by District Attorney Lynn Canavan that Jacob is now the main suspect in the case and that the only fingerprint discovered on Ben’s body belongs to him.

Canavan informs Andy that he has been removed from the case and Andy becomes upset when he learns that Loguidice has been assigned to prosecute in his place. The police obtain a search warrant and search the Barber home. On the way home from school, Jacob sees police outside the house and, clearly spooked, runs away. When eventually found by a police officer, he insists that he is innocent, but reveals that he found Ben’s body the morning of his death and didn’t tell anyone as he was afraid he would get blamed for it. Andy and Laurie learn that Jacob will be held overnight in jail before his arraignment the following morning. Meanwhile at a diner, Leonard Patz looks through a photo album on his phone that is filled with photos of Ben Rifkin before deleting them.

Third Episode Title No: “Poker Faces” April 24, 2020, Morten Tyldum, director; Mark Bomback, teleplay

Joanna Klein, an accomplished defines attorney and Andy’s colleague, is hired by Laurie and Andy to represent Jacob, and Jacob is released on bond. In an effort to shield Jacob from the media’s coverage of the case, Andy and Laurie limit Jacob’s access to social media. After experiencing disturbing flashbacks from his early years, Andy tells Laurie that his father—whom he claims abandoned them when he was a baby—is actually a convicted murderer.

Laurie begins to crack under the weight of the case: she is sent home on temporary leave from her job as director of a children’s home, their garage is vandalized, and her best friend cuts off contact with her. Without telling Andy, she researches his father’s murder conviction, and has old newspaper clippings about the case delivered to the house under a pseudonym. Andy, insistent that Leonard Patz is the true suspect, convinces Duffy to send him Patz’s file. Joanna sends Laurie and Andy to Dr. Vogel, a psychiatrist specializing in behavioural science and genetics, to prepare them for the chance the prosecution may use the so-called “murder gene” as an argument. While Andy remembers Jacob as a normally behaved child, Laurie recalls that Jacob was difficult and sometimes aggressive toward his parents and other children; Andy is upset that Laurie would imply Jacob is capable of violence, but Laurie insists she does not doubt Jacob’s innocence. Sarah, one of Jacob’s classmates, calls Detective Duffy and tells her that she has information on Ben’s murder.

Four Episode the Tittle: “Damage Control” Morten Tyldum directed, Mark Bomback wrote the teleplay, and the initial release date was May 1, 2020.

Andy goes to see Matt, the adolescent who claimed Leonard Patz had molested him sexually. When Andy presses Matt, the meeting devolves into a conflict as Matt’s guarded demeanour makes Andy think he’s hiding something. Subsequently, Andy makes note of Patz’s address and follows him to his flat. Andy is happy to see Sarah visiting Jacob at home. Later that evening, Jacob informs Andy that Sarah thinks Derek killed Ben and that the police spoke with Derek again. Despite his parents’ social media restriction, Jacob secretly sets up a covert Instagram account. Meanwhile, Laurie is becoming increasingly unstable, spying on her former coworkers and lying to Andy about having dinner with a friend when she actually ate alone at a diner. At the diner, she is approached by a friendly woman whom she confides in; when the woman reveals herself to be a freelance writer working on a story for The Boston Globe’s Sunday Magazine, Laurie leaves in a panic without insisting her comments were given off the record and does not tell Andy about the incident. Dr. Vogel conducts multiple tests to determine any psychopathic tendencies in Jacob and takes a DNA sample from Andy. Dr. Vogel reveals that they also need a DNA sample from Andy’s father, but that he will only provide a sample if Andy obtains it himself. Andy, despite his anger and fear of his father, agrees.

Progress

On September 20, 2018, it was revealed that Apple had given a television miniseries adaption of William Landay’s 2012 novel Defending Jacob a straight-to-series order for eight episodes. Mark Bomback, Chris Evans, Morten Tyldum, Rosalie Swedlin, and Adam Shulman served as executive producers in addition to being the show’s creator and writer. The series was directed by Tyldum as well. Production companies working on the project include Anonymous Content and Paramount Television.

Casting

Chris Evans’ casting as the show’s lead actor was confirmed concurrently with the announcement of the series order. Jaeden Martell and Michelle Dockery joined the series’ cast in March 2019.

In April 2019, Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber, Betty Gabriel and Sakina Jaffrey joined the cast of the series. J. K. Simmons was revealed as part of the cast in a March 2020 trailer.

Making Movies

It was confirmed that filming will start in April 2019 in Newton, Massachusetts, the setting of the novel. The UMass Amherst Mount Ida Campus, the town of Newton Highlands, and Cold Spring Park were confirmed as the filming locations. More filming got underway in Belmont, Massachusetts. Additionally, on June 15, 2019, filming got underway in Salem, Massachusetts; on June 17, 2019, filming took place at MCI Cedar Junction in Walpole, Massachusetts; and on June 19, 2019, filming took place in Lowell, Massachusetts, by the UMass Lowell Tsongas Arena. On June 21, 2019, filming was done at River’s Edge in Medford, Massachusetts. Additionally, filming began on June 28, 2019, in Worcester, Massachusetts, and July 8, 2019, in Watertown, Massachusetts, where the series’ Newton Police Station is depicted as the front of the former Watertown Police Station. On July 9, 2019, the Town Diner in Watertown was the site of filming. They shot at C&M Pizza in Leominster, Massachusetts, on July 18, 2019. Needham, Massachusetts was the location for filming neighborhood scenes. On September 25, 2019, the Grand Velas hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, in the state of Nayarit, was the location for filming the scenes in Mexico. Additionally, scenes were shot on the Northgate Gardens Condominium property in Waltham.