‘I Don’t Blame Tom’: Jack Reacher Director Addresses Part 2 Flopping, Teases Third Film

Jack Reacher director Edward Zwick says he doesn’t blame Tom Cruise at all for the sequel coming up short in theaters.

Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Filmmaker Edward Zwick reflected on his Jack Reacher movie sequel failing at the box office.

In the original Jack Reacher, released by Zwick in 2012, genre icon Tom Cruise played the titular action hero. Cruise would later reprise the role for the 2016 sequel, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. The sequel did not reach its box office expectations, with the second installment’s shortcomings putting an end to tentative plans to make a third movie. Per Variety, Zwick opened up on his Jack Reacher films in his new memoir, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood. While acknowledging the fan criticisms that Cruise wasn’t tall enough to play Jack Reacher, Zwick said the “blame” for the films’ criticisms doesn’t fall on the actor, but rather on himself and his “willing accomplice,” producer Don Granger.

Anthony Michael Hall with Reacher artwork

Reacher Season 3’s New Cast Members Include Anthony Michael Hall

New cast members have been revealed for the third season of Reacher, and Halloween Kills actor Anthony Michael Hall is among them.

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, which Tom Cruise and I made in 2016, fizzled at the box office,” Zwick explained. “I blame myself (and my willing accomplice, Don Granger) for thinking the audience might enjoy a mash-up of Jack Reacher and Paper Moon, when in fact they just wanted more red meat. I had a wonderful time working with Cobie Smulders, and I certainly don’t blame Tom for not being six two — as the novelist Lee Child described his protagonist — and should Tom happen to call about making a third movie together, I’ll definitely pick up.”

Edward Zwick Remains Open to Making a Third Jack Reacher Movie

While Edward Zwick is clearly well aware of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back getting a poor reception, he’s also made it just as clear that he would be happy to make a third movie if that’s what Tom Cruise wants. It’s not a very likely scenario, given how packed Cruise’s schedule already is these days, coupled with Jack Reacher: Never Go Back underperforming in such a big way less than a decade ago. The franchise has also found big success with Prime Video’s Reacher series, starring a much-taller Alan Ritchson in the titular role, so there may be no rush to switch gears and put more focus onto the less-revered incarnation.

1:44

Jack Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, between images of the T-1000 and Sarah Conner from Terminator 2

Reacher Showrunner Shares the Surprising Story Behind That Terminator 2 Reference

Reacher’s showrunner has explained the story behind Season 2’s not-so-subtle nod to Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The first Jack Reacher movie was a box office success, earning more than $218 million with a $60 million budget, though these numbers were still short of expectations. Reviews were fairly mixed, though the film is still considered to be “fresh” at Rotten Tomatoes with a 63% approval rating. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back reportedly had a budget in the range of $60-90 million, but it saw a significant drop with its theatrical return, grossing $162 million worldwide. It also has a lower Rotten Tomatoes score of 38%. Meanwhile, the Reacher series has broken viewership records on Prime Video, and its first and second seasons have respective Rotten Tomatoes scores of 92% and 98%.

Jack Reacher and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back are both currently streaming on Paramount+.

Source: Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood