This news landed in my inbox this morning from a fellow mystery reader. Tom Cruise is set to play Jack Reacher according to Omnimystery News. There’s already an outcry about the role going to Tom Cruise at The Rap Sheet and elsewhere. I have no opinion to share because I’ve never read the books. As I was reading the articles though, it reminded about the outcry people had over Tom Cruise being cast as Lestat (from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series). The author threw a fit and asked all her fans to decry the decision but then…she saw the film and was all beside herself saying that Cruise did a good job. Back to Cruise, the film adaptation is the fifth novel in the Jack Reacher series, One Shot. Maybe I should read that one…oh and the author is supportive of the choice so…
Outcry Over Jack Reacher Role Going to Tom Cruise
I’ve read a few of the books, and am among those who are appalled at the idea of Tom Cruise playing the role! But I read somewhere that the reason he got the role is that he bought the film rights…..
I’ve listened to the first two Reacher books on audio (and have started #3). So far, I’m lukewarm on the series. I’m neither loving it, or hating it. It’s just sort of there. But they make for decent company while I’m working out – so I’ve kept on them.
I think Cruise will be able to act the part. The problem is physical appearance. Reacher is a BIG guy. We’re talking somewhere in the range of 6’5″ territory, and solidly built – since he’s ex-military. So those people TOTALLY unfamiliar with the books? They’re just going to have to get past Cruise’s tendency towards phoniness and couch jumping
According to Lee Child, the physical description of Jack is a metaphor – not to be taken literal I guess….
Yep, I don’t see what the fuss is about, the only difference is that Cruise is 4 foot 5 in and Reacher 6 foot 5 in. If you haven’t read the books it won’t matter in the least and if you have, well too bad I guess. They will just have to do what they did with Alan Ladd (Shane) and have all the co-actors standing in trenches.
It can´t hurt me either as I haven´t read any Reacher books yet – and if I see Tom Cruise in the role first, I am sure I´ll think it is Reacher who is the wrong type
I’m not a Reacher fan but even if i were I hope I’d be able to get past all the hoo ha. I try really hard these days to think of books and their movie adaptations as two entirely separate things. If I put my purist ‘love Sherlock Holmes’ hat on I would have hated the most recent movie (the Guy Ritchie one not the TV show) but if I view it as simply a movie in its own right I can enjoy it for what it is.
I listened to The Killing Floor, scratching my head in wonder that this series was so popular. Clearly, I didn’t get the attraction–I mean, there are plot holes in that book worthy of Michael Bay–and the narrator, Dick Hill, another favorite of everyone-but-me, had me gritting my teeth. So maybe that’s all to the good since the movie would have to really tank to be worse. In fairness and IMO, Tom Cruise has proven himself worthy in other roles; I’m willing to wait and see.