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Tom Cruise Circling One Shot: Welcome To Horrendous Idea # 756,243

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (24)

tom-cruise.jpg

This? This hurts. The good news is that Lee Child’s fabulously pulpy novel “One Shot” is getting adapted into a movie. “One Shot” is one of the many novels featuring the burly, stoic, and utterly badass ex-Military Policeman Jack Reacher, usually just called “Reacher.” The novels are brain candy of the highest order, but they’re also highly entertaining and Reacher is a pretty interesting subject. He’s a brute of a man, but also highly intelligent. He’s literally homeless — after getting phased out of the Army, he travels around without a home and just enough money to get by, and basically gets into adventures where he solves crimes, saves people, and beats the ever-living fuck out of the bad guys. There’s a bit of social commentary peppered in there among the introspective moments and bountiful military jargon, but it all takes a back stage to Reacher’s general badassitude.

Reacher is also a hell of a physical specimen — in the books, he’s 6’5” and 250 pounds of highly-trained trouble, and casting him seems like a seriously (ahem) tall order. The film is being developed by Christopher McQuarrie, and of course, the logical choice for Reacher is…

Tom Cruise?

Wait, what? How did we go from towering badass to 5’7”-in-heels-on-a-ladder chicklet-mouthed lunatic? Don’t get me wrong, I like Cruise as Ethan Hunt… well, not counting M:I2, but casting him as Jack Reacher would be the mother of all casting fuckups. This is one of those instances where the look of the character is integral to the piece. This isn’t casting someone who’s blond to play a brunette. Cruise may be a capable actor, but there’s no possible way he can pull off “intimidating giant.”

It’s just early rumor at this point, so let’s all pray that this never come to pass.
(via Deadline)









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Comments

Agreed Cruise is too runty for the role but who is 6'-5", 250lbs? The Rock is the only guy that's really that big and frankly he's not scary to me.

Posted by: logan at June 14, 2011 10:23 AM

Jason Momoa comes to mind. I have no idea how Conan the Barbarian is going to turn out, but he was good in Stargate Atlantis and I like him in Game of Thrones. Or Ray Stevenson from Rome.

Posted by: Three-nineteen at June 14, 2011 10:39 AM

Aaaaand another role Dwayne Johnson was at least physically suited to play instead goes to an actor who looks like he would have difficulty meeting the minimum entry requirements.

Real life personality aside, there are other actors out there who could fake looking like an ex-Army juggernaut far better. We're not talking about a character who can fall back on Bond-esque gadgets and instant magic masks that mysteriously change the wearer's physical build and voice too.

This would be like casting Paul Reubens as lead in the Lyle Alzado Story. Yes, let's hope it's just an evil rumor.

Posted by: bleujayone at June 14, 2011 10:40 AM

Yes Ray Stevenson! Good call. Liked him in Rome and he has the size.

Posted by: logan at June 14, 2011 10:44 AM

In theory TK you might be right about Cruise physically not being able to play the part of Reacher, but unfortunately there aren’t too many 6’5” 250 pound specimens that can act their way out of a paper bag. Oh wait, maybe they can get “The Rock.”

p.s. TK you’re so cute and loveable when you take off your commenter hat and put on journalist cap and write these sweet little adorable pieces.

Posted by: Pookie at June 14, 2011 10:44 AM

Chris Hemsworth.

Posted by: Berg at June 14, 2011 10:57 AM

I was thinking Ray Stevenson too. Or they could really match the stature of the character and cast either of the actors playing the scary ass Clegane brothers from Game of Thrones.

Posted by: TylerDFC at June 14, 2011 10:57 AM

It's not a matter of finding a Reacher-sized actor who can actually act, he has to be able to open a picture.

Gerard Butler? The Rock? Liev Schreiber

I'd go with Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He's got the size and can play the smarts.

Posted by: The Mutt at June 14, 2011 10:57 AM

If we're looking at former wrestlers who aren't Dwayne Johnson, Dave Bautista is 6'5" ish and allegedly north of 250 lbs.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1176985/

He had a part in some movie with another ex-wrestler, Rob Van Dam, "The Wrong Side of Town," which is naturally on Netflix Instant along with the last 2/3 of Billy Zane's career. It wasn't a great film (shocking!) but it was entertaining, and Bautista was at least surprisingly good in the role, considering the nonexistent expectations I had for him.

Posted by: Markus at June 14, 2011 11:02 AM

Ron Perlman is over six feet tall. Also, Reacher is supposed to be, what, 50 years old? Not that they'd let something like that affect casting choices.

Posted by: branded at June 14, 2011 11:20 AM

I will boycott if this comes to pass. I will still read the books, but will never see a Reacher movie where Tom Crusie is Reacher. Please. In what universe does that make sense?!?

Posted by: Laura at June 14, 2011 11:25 AM

Adam Baldwin

Posted by: VeryKerry at June 14, 2011 11:58 AM

Idrid Elba? I haven't read the books, but that description reminded me of Luther.

Posted by: yourspanishcousin at June 14, 2011 12:14 PM

Reacher's size is absolutely integral to his character, and sometimes even the stories themselves. Someone remind me of the book where the climax occurs in that underground cave where Reacher has to fight the tiny, wiry bad ass villain? Anyway, I love McQuarrie and I don't have as much Cruise hate as the general populace, but this is a fucking terrible idea. The Rock isn't right either, and Lieve Schreiber isn't big enough. The Rock is only 6'4" for christsakes. Momoa might night be a bad pick, but I'm not sure about his chops, acting-wise. I don't think Stevenson has the star power. Alas, I just really hope they don't fuck this up. I love Lee Child and the books deserve to be adapted well, without cutting corners.

Posted by: Himself at June 14, 2011 12:30 PM

I love Tom Cruise, and I really love the Reacher books. I don't want Cruise to play Reacher either. Who would be a good choice though? To be fair to Cruise, I can't think of anyone who would fit.

Posted by: Still Cathy After All These Years at June 14, 2011 12:30 PM

It's not all bad. The rest of the cast is going to be little people, so he APPEARS bigger.

Ah, the magic of Hollywood.

Posted by: superasente at June 14, 2011 1:05 PM

Reacher graduated West Point, then spent 13 years in uniform. He's been wandering for a couple of years.

Real world events are talked about in the books. Reacher was in Panama and the first Gulf War. He helps a woman whose husband was injured in the Iraq occupation.

If book time equals real time, he'd be about fifty. If you take it that the 14 years of books only take place over a few years, he'd be about 40. But that's the books. No problem changing things for the movie.

But one thing that is essential to Reacher's character is that he truly believes he's unstoppable. He could be facing four armed men bare-handed and he'd be calming thinking about the order he's going to kill them in.

BTW, the books are great. Reacher's the best fictional character since Spenser. You can read them in any order. Only a couple flow one into the next.

Speaking of bad casting and the author going along with it: Joe Montagna as Spenser.

Posted by: The Mutt at June 14, 2011 2:51 PM

I was howling in dismay when Twitter brought this to my attention earlier today. I'm heavily into the adventures of Jack Reacher, and am actually currently re-reading 'One Shot' for about the third time (probably my favourite Reacher book, although sometimes I waver and 'The Enemy' gets the top spot).

Ray Stevenson could definitely work. Here's an off-the-wall suggestion - Peter Stormare as Reacher, anyone?

Posted by: Dill The Devil at June 14, 2011 3:22 PM

Nooooooooooooo!
I love Lee Child & his Reacher novels-this would be a total abomination!
Just like Rainbow Killer playing the role of Stephanie Plum.
I am full of hate right now. HATE!
Leave my f'n books alone already!

Posted by: Grunt at June 14, 2011 3:48 PM

So I guess we can all agree that Tom Cruise is just a "bit" of a reach?

Okay, I'll go crawl back into my cave now.

Posted by: NeoCleo at June 14, 2011 4:09 PM

You forgot to insult us, cockmuffin.

Posted by: Uriah Creep at June 14, 2011 8:57 PM

Have read all the reacher books at least once. Reachers character derives around his enormous stature. Sure there isnt many good acters that are 6'5 250. Im just wondering why they are hiring a fucking ghome. Please if the job cant be done rite... Dont do it at all.

Posted by: mike at June 28, 2011 12:57 PM

people: i...along with everyone else think cruise would kill this...if they plan to have a series later. i had matt dillon or gerard butler playing reacher...ray stevenson is a great idea...size and strength..i thought the first book was the best.."killing floor"......wrw

Posted by: walter white at July 16, 2011 1:10 PM

Cannot belive this was confirmed as truth today. I have waited a long time for a Lee Child novel to be made into a movie, and it looks like I will be waiting a lot longer before I actually pay money to see one. This is an abomination. Reacher's physical presence is not, as Lee Child allegedly said, a "metaphor for an unstoppable force". It is integral to the character - remember Reacher having the strength and endurance to drown a man in a swimming pool long before the man drowned him? Not even with all the CGI in the world could Cruise be believable doing something like that. If Lee Child actually said that, he is a sell out. I think I am going to be physically ill.

My choice? Joe Manganiello (Alcide from True Blood) or Jeffrey Dean Morgan, like someone else mentioned. Both are large, physically imposing men with serious intensity, yet without a lot of stereotyping from other movies to prevent one of them from making Reacher his own.

Boycott.

Posted by: Jen at July 16, 2011 5:46 PM