‘Jack Reacher 2’ Eyes ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Actor (EXCLUSIVE)

The success of Universal’s “Straight Outta Compton” continues to pay dividends for its breakout cast — Aldis Hodge, who played MC Ren in the film, has landed his next project.

Sources tell Variety that Hodge is in talks to join Tom Cruise in Paramount and Skydance’s “Jack Reacher 2.”

Variety previously reported that “Heroes Reborn” star Danika Yarosh was the choice for one of the female leads along with Cobie Smulders, who is currently in negotiations to join the film.

Ed Zwick is set to direct. Zwick and and Marshall Herskovitz wrote the most recent draft of the script after Richard Wenk penned the original draft.

Paramount grossed $218 million worldwide from 2012’s “Jack Reacher,” directed by Christopher McQuarrie from his own script based on the Lee Child series of novels. The sequel will be based on Child’s “Never Go Back,” in which Reacher travels from South Dakota to the Virginia headquarters of the U.S. Army Military Police Corps and finds that his new commanding officer has been arrested.

Details on Hodge’s role are under wraps at this time.

Cruise and Don Granger are producing.

Hodge joins his fellow “Straight Outta Compton” co-stars Jason Mitchell and Corey Hawkins in lining up high profile followups to the N.W.A. biopic. Both Mitchell and Hawkins were recently cast in the King Kong prequel “Kong: Skull Island” which just left Universal for Warner Bros.

Hodge previously appeared in a recurring role on AMC show “Turn” and some of his past credits include “The East,” “Leverage” and “A Good Day to Die Hard.” He is repped by Paradigm and Priluck Company.

Related stories

Universal's 'Straight Outta Compton' Casts its MC Ren and DJ Yella

Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter