Eight years after its theatrical release,Jack Reacher: Never Go Backfound a new lease on life in the streaming world by climbing to the top of the charts. Its recently renewed popularity is proof of the enduring appeal of Lee Child’s books and the star power ofTom Cruise, even in movies that don’t get the most positive reception on their initial release. The Jack Reacher movies starring Cruise were criticized for casting the not so Reacher-esque actor in the lead role, but the success of Prime Video’sReacherseries, with the much more accurate Alan Ritchson stepping into the role, has renewed interest in the movie versions.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter,Jack Reacher: Never Go Backtopped the streaming charts, with an impressive 697 million minutes viewed across Netflix and Paramount+ from July 29 to August 4.With these numbers, it surpassed three major blockbusters:Kingdom of the Planet of the Apeswith 560 million minutes on Hulu,Trolls Band Togetherwith 506 million minutes, andGhostbusters: Frozen Empirewith 476 million minutes, both of which are streaming on Netflix. Additionally, according to Nielsen,Jack Reacher: Never Go Backsecured the tenth spot in the overall streaming rankings.
Jack Reacher 2
Directed by Edward Zwick and based on the eighteenth book in Lee Child’s long-running Jack Reacher series, the movie follows the titular character going on the run with Major Susan Turner to clear her name after she’s accused of espionage. The pair uncover a darker, world-threatening conspiracy in the process. Cruise’s Reacher was paired with Cobie Smulders, Aldis Hodge and Danika Yarosh. Despite being packed with action and suspense, the sequel fell below expectations and was criticized for its plot inconsistencies.Jack Reacher: Never Go Backgrossed $162 million at the worldwide box office.
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While theJack Reachermovies succeeded in drawing momentum fromLee Child’s hugely popular thriller novelsand delivered solid entertainment, the main detriment was the casting of Tom Cruise. In the novels, Reacher is described as a hulking figure, standing 6’5" with a rugged demeanor and a brooding personality, which is quite different from Cruise’s portrayal. The casting disappointed some loyal fans, but critics were quick to point out that Cruise found “the core of Reacher in his eyes” and ultimately did Lee Child proud.
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Apart from major franchises like Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, the actor has worked great on films that have flown under the mainstream radar.
Despite the casting conspiracy, there was always the potential for additional movies within the franchise. However, the franchise’s reboot on Prime Video, with Alan Ritchson in the lead role, seems to have nixed any chance of Cruise coming back for a third movie - as if it was ever going to happen. The series finally gave fans an actor who closely matched the description of Jack Reacher from the books. But interestingly, Ritchson himself praised Cruise in an interview withCBR. When asked if he was tired ofbeing compared to Cruise, he responded by saying:
“Never. Being compared to the most legendary actor of all time? The last film star? I would never tire of being compared to somebody of his stature.”
Jack Reacher is a popular character, and this recent interest in Tom Cruise’s movies can be attributed to his enduring appeal. WithJack Reacher: Never Go Backpropelling itself into the public eye and dominating the streaming charts, perhaps it is finally time to give the big screen franchise another shot.
