The dust has finally settled on the lawsuit that almost killed Aaron Sorkin’s theatrical version of the beloved Pulitzer-Prize-winning-novel turned Academy-Award-winning movie, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Deadline has the scoop on how both the estate of author Harper Lee and Sorkin’s production team agreed to drop the lawsuit. And now, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is currently in previews at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre and scheduled to open on December 13, 2018.

Sorkin’s modern take on the beloved Harper Lee novel is both the cause of the lawsuit, as well as the reason why fans and critics are all eyes on this new production. The famous Hollywood writer is reportedly adapting many of the novel’s original elements into something that speaks more to this generation, rearranging plot lines and character arcs in the process. Fan reactions have been generally mixed, stretching from accusations of ruining an American classic to praise for bringing issues of modern institutional racism to Broadway. But perhaps To Kill a Mockingbird lead producer Scott Rudin explained it best when he argued during litigation that the only way to see whether or not the play fairly represents the novel is to actually see it.

Thankfully for us who can’t wait to do so, Sorkin hasn’t been scarce with the details. The Vulture caught up with Sorkin who explained some of the potentially controversial changes in his Broadway adaptation, including his take on the novel/film’s beloved hero, the lawyer Atticus Finch – to be played by long-time Sorkin collaborator, actor Jeff Daniels. Sorkin says that initially, his Finch will be “in denial about his neighbors and his friends and the world around him, that it is as racist as it is . . . He becomes an apologist for these people.” This is before he eventually rises up to become the Atticus Finch that we all know and love – a moral journey which Sorkin believes will be more representative of today’s social climate.

There’s also the matter of how the younger characters in the novel will be now be played by Broadway veterans. Sorkin plays with the concept of memory by having adult versions of Scout, Dill, and Jem look back on the events in the novel. The Observer points out that is not that unusual, being that the book itself was narrated by a grown-up Scout recounting the trial.

With all this being said, it’s pretty understandable that a Broadway play based on a novel and film of this magnitude is garnering initial scrutiny and criticism. The 1962 novel brilliantly tackled institutional racism from a white ally’s perspective during the heyday of the American civil rights movement. To say that it is an American classic would be an understatement. It’s remarkable that there hasn’t been another film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird yet.

Over the years there has been much speculation on who would play the iconic Atticus Finch in a new screen adaption. At the top of many people’s list is George Clooney due to the type of characters the actor usually plays and his own sense of charity outside of film. He has worked on many humanitarian projects such as the crisis in Darfur. In a Lottoland article on ‘Famous Lottery Winners’ it is reported that when Clooney took part in the SuperEnaLotto he donated all the profits to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. He is also the co-founder of Not On Our Watch, an organization whose main goal is to put a stop to the genocide in Sudan. These actions have led many to believe that he is perfect for the role of Finch.

However, the burden falls on Jeff Daniels, a veteran actor whose fluency in Sorkin-esque repartee and experience in playing morally complex characters is well documented. Daniels has previously worked with Clooney in the film Good Night and Good Luck, which was Clooney’s second directorial feature. Daniel’s is one of Hollywood’s strongest actors and he recently won an Emmy for the Netflix show Godless. All evidence points to an intense and potentially brilliant retelling of Harper Lee’s greatest work.