Tom Cruise Gets One Shot at Another Potential Movie Franchise
Posted 06.14.11 by Ryan
Tom Cruise continues to line up future projects. Last month, Cruise was picked to headline Horizons (formerly titled Oblivion), an adaptation of the as-yet-unpublished illustrated sci-fi graphic novel from Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski. This month, Cruise is lining up yet another project in One Shot, an adaptation of the novel from author Lee Child.
Deadline reports that Cruise will play the former Military Police Officer Jack Reacher, who is the main character in Child's 15-volume, best-selling novel series. Cruise, who will also produce the movie, has been interested in the novel series for a while, with his production company optioning the book rights over 5 years ago. The adaptation has been in development ever since, but finding an actor who could pull off the character's 6'5," 250 pound frame proved too challenging. Instead, Cruise will play the part even though he falls, ahem, short of the character's height requirement. The casting may not sit well with fans of the book series, but is no problem for Child.
"Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way," said Child in support of the actor.
One Shot was adapted by Christopher McQuarrie, who will also direct. McQuarrie wrote the screenplay for Cruise's 2008 movie Valkyrie and made his directorial debut with the 2000 crime drama Way of the Gun. Josh Olson (A History of Violence) worked on an earlier draft before McQuarrie became involved.
Paramount Pictures is currently negotiating with Cruise to take the role in hopes of shooting One Shot in Pittsburgh before Cruise will shoot Horizons in January. The movie follows Reacher as he investigates the case the sniper killings of five victims and learns that the is more complex than initially believed.