$218 million worldwide doesn’t seem like the most obvious figure to build a franchise on these days, but Paramount is confident that Tom Cruise can make “Jack Reacher” a major blockbuster series. It’s almost baffling the first movie wasn’t a hit, based on a bestseller by popular thriller writer Lee Child, and offering Cruise in full on tough guy, action mode. But it seems audiences didn’t get it, and “Jack Reacher” barely cleared $80 million domestic — hardly Cruise-esque numbers. But nonetheless, a followup is here.
“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” finds Ed Zwick taking over the in the director’s chair for Christopher McQuarrie, and the movie once again finds the loner, drifter Jack Reacher rolling into a new town — this time New Orleans — and helping out someone in need (this time Cobie Smulders). And as per usual, Cruise did as much of the action as he could, himself.
“It’s a pretty boring job to be Tom’s stunt double,” Zwick told People. “He did all of his own stunts. It’s almost a hallmark of what he does. He does every bit of it himself.”
“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” opens on October 21st.