Speaking in an interview with Metro.co.uk, Child explained about the reimagining of Jack Reacher when it came to the development of the series and the move from big-name star Cruise to Ritchson, who is best known for his roles in Titans, Smallville and Blue Mountain State. The change of lead pleased Child, as he was able to see the character he wrote on the page come to life on the screen. He said:
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“I think that the size thing is important to certain parts of the narrative. Reacher has got to scare people and you can do that so much easier with one glance of this huge animal rather than a normal-sized actor.”
Reacher May Not Have a Big Hollywood Star, But Alan Ritchson Makes a Big Impact
While there were some fans who doubted Ritchson’s ability to pull off the role, when the series arrived, it instantly gained a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and currently sits on an 87% approval rating compared to the 63% achieved by the original Tom Cruise movie, proving that sometimes a big star name isn’t always the best thing to make a novel adaptation a success.
