MOLLY PARKER ('DEADWOOD,' 'SWINGTOWN') TO JOIN NBC'S NEW LEGAL DRAMA 'THE FIRM,' BASED ON THE FEATURE FILM AND BESTSELLER BY WORLD-RENOWNED NOVELIST JOHN GRISHAM FROM EONE

PARKER JOINS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED CAST OF JOSH LUCAS, JULIETTE LEWIS AND CALLUM KEITH RENNIE

Production Starts in Toronto in August

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif./TORONTO - July 29, 2011 - NBC, Entertainment One (eOne), Sony Pictures Television Networks and Global Television announced today that Molly Parker ("Deadwood," "Swingtown") has signed to star as Abby McDeere in the network's new legal drama series "The Firm," based on John Grisham's best-selling novel and executive-produced by Grisham and Lukas Reiter.

Ten years ago, Abby helped her husband Mitchell McDeere (Josh Lucas, "The Lincoln Lawyer," "Sweet Home Alabama") bring down a Memphis law firm that was a front for the Chicago mob. Her life was never the same. Abby's a true partner to Mitch -- a smart, resourceful woman who after a tumultuous decade is excited to start a new life in Washington, D.C., as a school teacher.

Parker joins a previously announced cast including Lucas as attorney Mitchell McDeere (the role originated by Tom Cruise in the film); Juliette Lewis ("Natural Born Killers," "Cape Fear") as Tammy, Mitch's feisty, sexy receptionist; and Callum Keith Rennie ("The Killing," "Californication") as Ray McDeere, Mitch's charming yet volatile older brother whose work as an investigator in Mitch's office is uniquely informed by his past stretch in prison for manslaughter. Despite a "highly un-ambitious" nature that stands in stark contrast to his Harvard-grad brother, Ray shares one key quality with Mitch: a loyalty that is unbreakable.

Based on the blockbuster feature film and the best-selling novel of 1991 by world-renowned author Grisham ("The Pelican Brief," "The Client"), "The Firm" continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere (Lucas) 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 Entertainment One 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 pilot episode, which will commence production in Toronto this August. Helen Shaver ("Judging Amy," NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") has also joined the series as a producer and will direct multiple episodes.

The series will be broadcast on AXN networks in more than 125 territories or countries around the globe. eOne Television will retain basic and pay television, broadcast television and digital/DVD rights for the show outside of AXN markets and handle distribution of the series worldwide, including the U.S. and Canada.

For embeddable clips and full episodes from NBC shows, please visit NBC.com's official show site: http://www.nbc.com/shows/.