Yesterday, Amazon Studios announced it has given the greenlight to a new Jack Reacher series. Nick Santora (Scorpion, Prison Break) will serve as showrunner. The first season of the show being based on the first Reacher novel, which sees him going up against the Aryan Brotherhood.
Lee Child, the author behind the book series, is also on board as an executive producer. If you recall, he was embarrassingly vocal about his dislike for Tom Cruise in the lead role in the two Jack Reacher movies, simply because he had written Reacher to be taller.
It was a bizarre stance considering Cruise was the best part about the films, which were otherwise pretty forgettable. Expect Amazon to cast some 6’6″ behemoth in the role to appease Child, but he’ll likely be a tough-looking guy with zero charisma. At least Child got his way!
This move makes sense for Amazon, who already have a solid roster of spy shows including Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski, and Hanna with Esme Creed-Miles and Mireille Enos. The Jack Reacher books are airport novel royalty; easily digestible spy stories that anyone can pick up. That’s probably the kind of populist thing Amazon is looking for.
Christopher McQuarrie – who worked on the first Reacher film with Cruise – will have an executive producer credit on the series, but expect his involvement to be minimal at best. Don’t be surprised if this Jack Reacher series ends up like its counterpart Jack Ryan. Surely some people watch it – it got renewed for a second season – but do you actually know anyone who is a fan?
#Peace.Love.JackReacher
