Matthew McConaughey returning for A Time to Kill sequel

Matthew McConaughey is preparing to head back into the courtroom to star in a limited series as a sequel to movie classic A Time to Kill.

The Dallas Buyers Club star brought Jake Brigance to life onscreen in the 1996 film adaptation of John Grisham's 1989 book of the same name, and last year, McConaughey admitted he was "seriously considering" reprising the role for the author's latest follow-up, A Time for Mercy, after receiving an advance copy of the October release.

Now Deadline sources have revealed McConaughey is in final negotiations to board the project, which will be developed for U.S. network bosses at HBO.

Officials have yet to appoint a writer and director, but industry veteran Lorenzo di Bonaventura will be among the producers.

A Time to Kill starred McConaughey as a lawyer tasked with defending Samuel L. Jackson's character after he is accused of murdering two white men who had raped his 10-year-old daughter in a small town in Mississippi.

It also starred Sandra Bullock, and Kiefer and Donald Sutherland, and was directed by Joel Schumacher.

In A Time For Mercy, Brigance becomes the court-appointed attorney for a shy 16-year-old boy facing the death penalty for allegedly killing a local deputy.

Grisham had previously published Sycamore Row, a direct sequel to A Time to Kill, in 2013.