It feels like if there’s a big, highly-anticipated, massively popular action property, it inevitably ends up in the hands of Tom Cruise.
Jack Reacher is the latest to find its way into Cruise’s circle of interest, a decision that’s already causing no small amount of consternation with fans of Lee Child’s hulking hero.
According to Deadline, Paramount and Skydance are negotiating with Cruise to star in One Shot, the big screen debut of Reacher. It’s been kicking around for awhile, and it’s set to be directed by Cruise favorite, Christopher McQuarrie.
Cruise is a fine action star. I won’t dispute that, even if he’s lost a lot of his gloss for me in recent years. Nor can I pretend to be a massive fan of the Reacher series. But I know what the character is — a massive, intimidating hulk of a man whose ripples of muscle scream “Yes, I was once a military policeman, how can you tell?” There’s a reason Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a fan favorite for the role, and Cruise’s name never came within a million miles of it.
However, Cruise has gotten the stamp of approval from Child, who insists size just doesn’t matter for the movie. “Reacher’s size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force,” Child tells Deadline, “which Cruise portrays in his own way.”
Ah. Well, who among us is brazen enough to look the gift horse in the mouth. I could snark and say “If it isn’t important, why not just write him as an ordinary sized fellow?” but it seems more appropriate that Reacher fans pick the bones, so I’ll hand it off to you.
I should stress that the deal isn’t definite, and hinges on Cruise’s ever-busy schedule, which includes Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion.
12 comments
I just don’t buy him in that role at all. Reacher is supposed to be a hulk of a man that just physically dominates people. This is the role that Holt McCallany was born to play.
Nice call on Holt. They could probably do an F/X series on Reacher with him and it would be quite good. Cruise is a good action star, but I’d hate to see a glitzed-up Reacher movie. That really isn’t what the stories are about, nor the character.
The problem with Dwayne Johnson is, despite him being a walking specimen of an action hero, no one actually wants to see him in anything other than kiddie flicks. DRIVE was supposed to be his breakout, but nyet! nobody cared. Sorry, Rock, you’ve been trying hand over fist for almost a decade. No one’s biting.
If there’s a big, strapping actor with a potential audience, how about Armie Hammer?
I don’t know who Jack Reaper is or what these novels are, so I’m not too upset about Tom Cruise. And besides, if we were so anal retentive about height, let’s not forget the little math problem of Wolverine in the comics: 5’3″, Hugh Jackman: 6’2″.
Nice to see Holt McCallany getting some love.
Cruise is wrong on every level for the part. Armie is too young and handsome. Now…I like Holt. He is an interesting choice. I could see that working. But for a theatrical only if they surrounded him with really strong, well known actors.
Tom Cruise could totally play Jack Reacher you just have to cast Peter Dinklage, Warwick Davis and Deep Roy to play all the other parts.
Reacher is a former Army homicide investigator. Now he just walks the earth, like Caine from Kung Fu.
He is described as 6’5″ 250 lbs with a 50 inch chest.
Drive just wasn’t very good. Johnson proved his non-kiddie chops in Fast 5 though.
Quote: I could snark and say “If it isn’t important, why not just write him as an ordinary sized fellow?”
Screen Presence vs Written Presence? Both are forms of shorthand for the audience/reader.
But this generally ties in with the whole problem that there are too few of these archetypical “manly” leading men working in the A-List right now (probably why the books are so popular – serving a need). Even a big guy like The Rock is still a pretty boy.
Everyone thought Tom Cruise was wrong for Lestat, and look what happened there. A good actor can convince even a skeptical audience.
Ummm… DRIVE = Nathan Fillion.
The Rock = FASTER!
YES!
Comments are shown as archived from the original site; new comments are closed.