Say What? ‘Jack Reacher’ Author Claims Tom Cruise ‘Too Old’ for Action Movies

Zack Sharf

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Is Tom Cruise too old to be making action movies? Most film critics and moviegoers would argue no, especially since “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” earned unanimous acclaim last year and grossed $787 million worldwide to become the highest grossing-entry in the franchise’s 22-year history. However, “Jack Reacher” author Lee Child is apparently not like most moviegoers. In an interview with The Sunday Times (via The Independent) Child said Cruise is too told for the action genre and should think about getting more into character acting.

Child’s “Jack Reacher” novels were adapted into two Tom Cruise action vehicles: Christopher McQuarrie’s 2012 movie “Jack Reacher” and Edward Zwick’s 2016 sequel “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” Neither entry was a box office juggernaut and Child announced in November 2018 that he was ending the “Jack Reacher” film franchise and developing a television reboot around the character.

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“Cruise was reluctant,” Child told The Sunday Times about the film franchise coming to an end. “He had his own investment in it, he was going to argue against it. It sounds extremely patronizing but I think it’s good for him. He’s too old for this stuff. He’s 57, he needs to move on, transition to being a character actor. He could get another 20 years out of it. He has the talent. He’s a terrific guy, very considerate, good fun.”

Part of the reason Child ended Cruise’s “Jack Reacher” film series is because he agreed with reader complaints that Cruise did not look anything like the character Child wrote in his books. “I really enjoyed working with Cruise. He’s a really, really nice guy. We had a lot of fun. But ultimately the readers are right,” Child said last year. “The size of Reacher is really, really important and it’s a big component of who he is.”

Following the worldwide success of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” Paramount Pictures announced it was moving ahead on two additional films in the long-running action series. The seventh and eighth “Mission: Impossible” movies will film back to back and will once again be directed by “Rogue Nation” and “Fallout” helmer Christopher McQuarrie. Cruise also has the upcoming sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” set for release next summer. Whatever Child may think, it’s clear Cruise isn’t leaving action movies anytime soon.

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