Patricia Heaton To Star In Legal Drama Pilot PUBLIC INTEREST

MPI Original Films has announced the cast for its upcoming drama pilot Public Interest, a character-driven legal drama from acclaimed producer-director David Barrett (Tracker).

Public Interest will star Emmy Award winner Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Emmy Award winner Richard Schiff (The West Wing). Heaton also serves as an executive producer. Joining Heaton and Schiff in the ensemble cast are:

James Wolk (Mad Men)
Liana Liberato (Scream VI)
Tiana Okoye (Twisted Metal)
Carter Redwood (FBI: International)
Josh McKenzie (La Brea).

Production will begin this month in Toronto.

Synopsis

Set inside a nonprofit public interest law firm in Washington, D.C. Public Interest follows Ingrid Erickson, an attorney unexpectedly thrust into the firm’s top leadership role after its longtime president suffers a sudden heart attack, and her unconventional team as they fight for everyday people facing impossible odds. As the attorneys navigate high-stakes legal battles, they must also contend with office tensions, personal relationships, and the emotional toll of trying to do the right thing in an increasingly complicated world.

Heaton stars as Ingrid, alongside Schiff as Martin Friedlander, Wolk as Kenny Takao, Liberato as Sasha Lerner, Okoye as Ashley Anderson, Redwood as James, and McKenzie as Zeldin.

“What immediately connected me to Ingrid was her sense of conviction and responsibility,” said Heaton. “She’s someone who believes deeply in helping people, even when the path forward is messy or uncertain. Public Interest explores the tension between idealism and reality in a way that feels incredibly timely, but it also has warmth, humor, and heart at its center.”

MPI Original Films

“Public Interest reflects the kind of storytelling central to MPI Original Films’ mission—compelling, character-driven stories that explore the dignity of the human person, the meaning of justice, and the importance of human freedom,” said Rob Pfaltzgraff, President of MPI Original Films. “With Patricia Heaton leading an outstanding cast and David Barrett bringing tremendous creative vision, this timely legal drama embodies our commitment to stories that entertain while engaging the deeper questions shaping our culture.”

The project comes from veteran producer-director Barrett, who is also serving as an executive producer on the project. His career spans more than two decades and more than 500 television and film credits. Barrett has directed more than 160 episodes and produced more than 225 episodes for television. This includes some of television’s most successful franchises, including:

Tracker,
Twisted Metal
Law & Order
The Mentalist
Revenge
Fear the Walking Dead
Star Trek: Discovery
and Blue Bloods, where he served as a key director-producer for nearly a decade.

Allow Honest Disagreement

“Public Interest isn’t about advancing a single ideology or telling people what to think. It’s about defending the civil liberties that allow honest disagreement to exist in the first place and ensuring that no one in power gets to decide which voices deserve to be heard,” said Barrett. “That’s why I love working with MPI. They give me the freedom to engage with difficult and sometimes tense subject matter honestly and thoughtfully, without pressure to conform to an ideological agenda. We’ve had these conversations with the actors and crew throughout prep, which has created an inspiring energy. With this show, we hope to give America a roadmap for how to have those conversations.”

The pilot is from MPI Original Films. It is an independent production company focused on developing and producing commercially compelling stories with cultural resonance and human impact. Known for producing acclaimed films, documentaries, and shorts distributed across major platforms. MPI Original Films is expanding its work in scripted entertainment with projects designed to connect broad audiences with emotionally grounded, values-driven storytelling.

Public Interest is produced by MPI Original Films in partnership with Kemodo Entertainment. The pilot was written by David H. Steinberg & Keetgi Kogan with revisions from Marc Guggenheim.