According to Deadline, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions are in negotiations with Academy Award winner Edward Zwick to direct Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher 2, which he will also rewrite with frequent collaborator Marshall Herskovitz from a previous screenplay by Richard Wenk (The Equalizer).
The sequel will be based on Child’s most recent Jack Reacher novel, “Never Go Back,” in which Reacher (Cruise) goes back to his old Virginia military base to have dinner with a female colleague who he learns has been arrested, and soon, Reacher finds himself being charged with crimes himself. Once again, he needs to learn the truth the way that only Jack Reacher knows how, which often means violence.
Zwick, who previously directed Tom Cruise in the 2003 hit The Last Samurai (also co-written with Herskovitz), has a history of making socially-relevant action dramas such as Courage Under Fire, The Siege and Blood Diamond. He also won an Oscar for producing Best Picture winner Shakespeare in Love. His next directorial outing is the upcoming Pawn Sacrifice, which stars Tobey Maguire as chess champ Bobby Fischer.
The original 2012 Jack Reacher grossed $218 million worldwide on a $60 million budget. The original film’s director, Christopher McQuarrie, will executive produce Jack Reacher 2 with Cruise and Don Granger.
