The inspiration for Grisham's first novel occurred when he overheard the testimony of a 12-year-old rape victim and decided to explore what would happen if the girl's father murdered the assailants. Several publishers initially rejected the story, but Wynwood Press debuted the novel in June 1988 with a modest 5,000-print run. It wasn't until Grisham sold his second book, The Firm, to Paramount Pictures that A Time to Kill garnered audience attention. Doubleday republished the book in 1989, and the story became a bestseller.
In 1996, director Joel Schumacher brought us Samuel L. Jackson as Carl Lee Hailey, the beleaguered father, and Matthew McConaughey as Jake Tyler Brigance, the story's fearless lawyer. This marks Schumacher's second outing with Grisham's work, as he also directed The Client.
Playwright Rupert Holmes also adapted A Time to Kill for Broadway in 2013 — the same year its sequel, Sycamore Row, hit bookstores.