‘Perry Mason’ Trailer: Matthew Rhys Tries to Solve an Unspeakable Crime

Things get dark and moody in the latest trailer for Perry Mason. This update on the old school courtroom drama show has the lead character in the 1930s, before he became a criminal defense attorney and made his bones as a private eye. Matthew Rhys leads a great cast that includes John Lithgow, Tatiana Maslany, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Stephen Root, Gayle Rankin, Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcon, Jefferson Mays, Lili Taylor, Andrew Howard, Eric Lange, and Robert Patrick. Watch the Perry Mason trailer below.

Perry Mason Trailer

I was sold on Perry Mason based on the previous teaser, and this trailer just sold me all over again. I love the style on display here – the murky, shadowy cinematography giving it that noir flare; the rumpled costumes the characters wear; a horde of great character actors strutting their stuff; Tatiana Maslany’s platinum blonde hair – all of it works so well.

Here’s the synopsis:

1931, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country struggles through the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong. Based on characters created by author Erle Stanley Gardner, this drama series follows the origins of American fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.

I never watched the original Perry Mason TV series – it was before my time – so I have no attachment to the character or his legacy. But I’m excited for this new limited series, and I hope it lives up to the stellar marketing. Perry Mason is executive produced by (in alphabetical order), Amanda Burrell, Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Ron Fitzgerald, Joe Horacek, Rolin Jones, and Timothy Van Patten (who also directs); co-executive producer: Aida Rodgers; producer: Matthew Rhys; created by Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald; based on the characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Look for Perry Mason on HBO June 21.