After weeks of speculation, Paramount has finally fired the shot that someone, somewhere might actually care about ‐ their adaptation of Lee Child’s novel “One Shot” will not be called One Shot, but just Jack Reacher, after the character it chronicles. Tom Cruise stars in the film, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, which centers on a badass ex-military cop named, uh, Jack Reacher, who is the star of sixteen of Child’s thrilling and popular novels.
Cruise has come under fire for his casting, particularly because Reacher’s big build is a large part of his identity ‐ in the books, he’s described as being a hulking 6'5" beast ‐ but the actor has repeatedly sounded off about the role and his take onit. However, previews of some of the film’s footage have played quite well, so it’s possible that Cruise has made the role his own and will dash any misgivings when it hits screens later this year, on December 21st.
Moreover, tossing aside the source material’s title as the film’s actual title in favor of a simple character name title likely signals the obvious ‐ that this film is meant to kickstart a brand new franchise for Cruise and that Jack Reacher will serve as an introduction to, well, Jack Reacher. [Deadline Plainview]
