How Lee Child Became the Master of Thrillers: The Origin Story of Jack Reacher

Summary:

• Jack Reacher author Lee Child used to be a presentations director at Granada Television before becoming a writer.
• Due to restructuring within the firm, he was fired. This coerced him to create the iconic Jack Reacher.
• The peak came when Tom Cruise took to playing the character. Nowadays, Jack Reacher’s own series has sealed its place in Prime Video’s top 10 charts!

The brains behind the military cop-turned-drifter Jack Reacher, Lee Child started his professional life working as a Presentations Director on Granada Television. Disaster struck (or so he thought) when there was restructuring within the firm, and he was fired.

Even though it was the best thing that could’ve happened to him, Lee Child was left frustrated and depressed after the ordeal. That’s when he took to writing and architected the brilliant loner who would rule the revenge drama genre in years to come, i.e., Jack Reacher.

His debut novel, Killing Floor, was enough to capture the audience like a moth to a flame. Fans loved his clever prose and trickling build-ups, resembling a concoction of Robert B. Parker’s and Raymond Chandler’s writing styles.

The peak arrived when Tom Cruise came aboard to play Jack Reacher, although his choice came with a generous helping of controversy. 

That’s because Cruise’s stature is diminutive compared to his character, which coerced fans to think of alternatives. Nevertheless, the two films where Cruise played Jack Reacher turned out to be really successful!

The iconic character was revived for an Amazon Prime series, with Alan Ritchson leading the charge. The actor is way beefier than Tom Cruise and resembles Arnold Schwarzenegger in his stature, and fans have gobbled up the series. Season 2 of the drama debuted as Prime Video’s top title of the year.

About Reacher

Developed by Nick Santora, Amazon Prime’s Reacher is an American action crime streaming television series based on the books of Lee Child.

Starring Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher the show revolves around a murder investigation in the small town of Margrave, Georgia. When Jack Reacher is arrested for a murder he did not commit, he finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy full of dirty cops, shady businessmen, and scheming politicians. He needs to figure out what’s happening using his wits and escape out of this embroilment.

The show has been renewed for a second season and will premiere on December 14, 2023.