First Look at Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
Posted 06.27.12 by Ryan
There was some surprise when Tom Cruise was cast as Jack Reacher, the hero of author Lee Child's 15-volume series of novels centering around the former Military Police Officer-turned-drifter. Described in Child's novels as 6'5" and 250 pounds, the character doesn't seem to fit Cruise, something the actor admitted he was "very sensitive" about last October, but said he was given Child's "blessing" to take the part or he wouldn't have taken it.
Set for release this December, and titled Jack Reacher (formerly One Shot), Entertainment Weekly has released the first look photo of Cruise as Reacher, which writer-director Christopher McQuarrie (The Way of the Gun) says "literally and figuratively has no baggage." The photo reportedly shows Cruise as Reacher as he steps out of his still-moving (slowly, we're sure) 1970 Chevelle SS in order to escape a police chase. The result is, shall we say, familiar.
Sure, it's only one photo, but Cruise doesn't look much different than he does in several other movies. McQuarrie's description of Reacher also differs from the typical character that Cruise usually plays.
He is an extremely pragmatic, matter-of-fact person. He’s very solitary, but he can’t walk away from a situation that needs to be made right. His own sense of right and wrong tie into that situation and he can’t leave until it’s been resolved. That’s his Achilles heel. He is free from any sort of anxiety. He is truly not encumbered by all the bulls**t that makes up our daily lives.
Cruise hasn't hidden from the physical differences between himself and the literary version of his character, and as EW points out, the actor's videotaped message at CinemaCon emphasized that it's all about Child's endorsement. "For those of you who know the books, I’m obviously not 6-foot-5, like Jack Reacher," said Cruise at the April event. "But Lee felt that I was the right guy to drive fast cars and kick the s**t out of people onscreen." Sometimes, that's all that matters.
Based on Childs' novel One Shot (the ninth in the series), Jack Reacher follows Reacher as he investigates the deaths of five individuals whom were all killed by a lone sniper. Reacher is joined by defense attorney Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike) in an effort to bring the real culprits to justice after an innocent man is charged with the murders. Robert Duvall (Days of Thunder), Richard Jenkins (Let Me In) and David Oyelowo (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) co-star.
Next Showing: Jack Reacher opens December 21st