Amazon to Develop ‘Jack Reacher’ Series Based off Novels

Another reboot is on the way, as Amazon is reportedly developing a series adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. The books were already made into a film franchise starring Tom Cruise, but according to a report by Variety, he will have no involvement this time around.

Jack Reacher has been an action hero on the page since 1997, with the release of Child’s novel Killing Floor. The military police veteran roams the United States with absolutely no attachments, looking for ways to help people and investigating dangerous situations. Reacher has starred in a total of 23 novels and two short stories, so he is a bankable intellectual property for Amazon.

If that were not enough, there are the two existing Jack Reacher films that brought more attention to the character. However, fans of the books were not pleased when Tom Cruise was cast as the hero, feeling he did not match the character at all. For starters, Reacher is described as a towering man at six feet, five inches, with chiseled muscles and a hard, almost ugly face.

Amazon has a chance to correct this oversight for those fans, and bring a whole new version of the character to others. Either way, the Jack Reacher films grossed almost $400 million together, so they are a safe bet.

The new series will reportedly feature Child as an executive producer, along with Don Granger, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Mercy Ross.

The showrunner behind the rumored series is Nick Santora, who will write and executive produce. Santora is best known for writing on TV shows like Scorpion, Prison Break and Vegas, and on movies like Punisher: War Zone.

A new Jack Reacher series would add to Amazon’s growing stable of spy-thriller properties, including Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, which stars The Office alum John Krasinksi. That show is going on to a third season, proving that non-fantasy book adaptations are just as viable as shows like Game of Thrones.

Amazon has a hand in that market as well, however, with many book adaptations in the works. The streamer is working on the hotly anticipated series version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work surrounding The Lord of The Rings, though it will not be the main series itself. In addition, there are credible rumors of a series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series over there.

So far there is no word on a possible release date for Jack Reacher, or any of these other book adaptations.