<p>Add my S and me to the list of those who saw the trailer, then looked at each other and said, “HUH???” Tom Cruise is a ridiculous choice. S and I will continue to love the Reacher books but will not see the movie. Probably not even when it’s free from the library a year later.</p>
<p>I know I have read of authors or screenwriters who have an actor in mind when they pen the script or even the novel( hoping it will be picked up).
But the physicality of Reacher is stressed so often, that nothing can convince me that Child had Cruise in his top ten to bring him to the screen.</p>
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<p>Maybe if enough people boycott the movie, Woody Allen will be considered for the next one.</p>
<p>Reacher is also often described as calm, & focused- Cruise doesn’t strike me as calm.</p>
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My vote would be Kevin Durand.</p>
<p>My feeling is this - the movie targets the whole public where Cruise is marketable, and the number of people who’ve read Lee Child books is a small percentage that the producers didn’t mind offending. Many books that are made into movies more significantly have dramatic changes in the plot - like several Bond movies like “You only live twice”, for example. So, yes, it’ll be annoying, but I still will see it and come out complaining with DW wondering what senior crisis I’m going through.</p>
<p>I bet more people have read Lee Child than say , Tolkien.
And I think Martin Freeman will be a terrific Bilbo.
As opposed to “the Rock”. 
( I just picked that name out of a hat to illustrate someone who you wouldn’t think of when casting hobbits, just as it is more than a stretch to think of Cruise as Reacher)</p>
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<p>Irrelevant to the discussion, but I strongly doubt that.</p>
<p>I guess I was just thinking of the numbers of people in the US who might be interested in a Jack Reacher movie, considering Child has written many more books than Tolkein. ( however I expect Tolkien fans have the advantage in repeated viewings as well as action figures) 
Ive read LOTR & The Hobbit, my youngest also read The Silmarillion in middle school as well as the more popular books.
Not as big a geek as Colbert though.
Who Peter Jackson describes as the " Biggest Tolkein" geek that he has met & I imagine he has met a few.
[Watch</a> Now: Stephen Colbert Straightens Out Congress On ‘Lord Of The Rings’ | Geeks of Doom](<a href=“http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2011/07/30/watch-now-stephen-colbert-straightens-out-congress-on-lord-of-the-rings/]Watch”>Watch Now: Stephen Colbert Straightens Out Congress On ‘Lord Of The Rings’)</p>
<p>Jason Stathem…he would be awesome…</p>
<p>I think, like dad of 3, it’s that Cruise brings a huge production and marketing machine with him. Childs is probably constrained from any criticizing.
Like Janet Evanovich praising One for the Money.</p>
<p>I actually thought One for the Money was pretty good. Flaws: Morelli was very attractive, but not Italian-looking, and Ranger was not dangerous/hot enough. Heigl and the rest of the cast were very good, and I thought it pretty much captured the flavor of her books.</p>
<p>Jeremy Renner has the blonde coloring and more of the size…just saw the ad yesterday and my concern seems justified. I will be skipping this one.</p>
<p>I’m a fan of Lee Child–have read all of the Jack Reacher books and can’t see Tom Cruise in the role at all. He seems completely miscast. That being said, I’d still like to see a film version of a Reacher book, so I’ll probably go see the movie. I’d say Lee Child wants to make money and figures Tom Cruise will be a box office draw.</p>
<p>Contrast Lee Child with another thriller writer, Elmore Leonard.
Ive liked the things Ive seen based on his work. Notably, 3:10 to Yuma, Get Shorty & Justified.
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<p>Child had sold 40 million copies of his books in 2010, and hes written a few since then, I dont think he needed Cruise to attract an audience.</p>
<p>Lee Child makes lots of money on his books and he will clearly make more money on the movie if the star of the film is a big box office draw rather than some lesser box office draw or an unknown actor. I read somewhere that Lee Child (who is involved in the movie) said Cruise made a good Jack Reacher.</p>
<p>Lee Child is laughing all the way to the bank.</p>
<p>So disappointed with Lee Child and his choice of Tom Cruise…I will not see the movie…prefer to keep my Jack Reacher the way I imagine him. Either it is for the money or Lee Child is a scientologist and so helping the cause. No apologies for the cynicism; this makes no sense. I too think Liam Neeson would have been a good choice.</p>
<p>Wonder what made them pick “One Shot”. I liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite - think that was Gone Tomorrow. </p>
<p>Also for those who like Lee Child, do the “similar author” lists (or similar book lists) work for you? Somehow none of the authors typically listed as similar in style to Child connected. In this genre, I like someone like Gerritsen and didn’t like someone who matches often, Crais (Elvis), at all.</p>