There's a misconception that Tom Cruise went through, or is going through, something of a slump career wise. There's an idea that anything he's done recently that isn't called Mission: Impossible just doesn't do very well at the box office. It isn't actually true. Tom Cruise movies make money, lots of money. Scrooge McDuck swimming money. If you need evidence, just look to the fact that one of those movies, that was looked at as less successful, is still getting a sequel. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is on its way, and the first images of the New Orleans-based film have been released.
The first look, courtesy of People Magazine, shows us Tom Cruise and his co-star, Cobie Smulders, standing on a New Orleans balcony overlooking a parade, because how else would you know it was New Orleans? We can see that Jack Reacher has already been in at least one fight, as he has a fairly nasty cut under one eye. They're looking at something off screen, though at this point we have no idea what that is.
We may have an idea where he got the cut under his eye, however. A second image on the People website shows Jack reacher sitting in a diner, handcuffed, while the local Sheriff checks his ID. Here, Reacher's face is bloody and his shirt is stained with blood, or possibly, dirt. Likely both. Tom Cruise is the only one in the image in that state so it's hard to tell exactly what is going on, but the shot has a very "southern sheriff gives out-of-towner a hard time" look to it.
The plot of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back deals with Reacher attempting to aide an Army major, Cobie Smulders' character, who has been accused of spying. However, the location of the film, New Orleans, is also one of Jack Reacher's old stomping grounds (the dude really gets around) and returning there digs up some personal issues for him as well. This is a slight detour from the novel, which has Reacher returning to Washington, D.C. I wonder if that will be addressed.
While the original Jack Reacher may have gone by without the fanfare that many a Tom Cruise movie usually has, it was a solid success both critically and commercially. The book series that the films are based on also has a strong following, and while Tom Cruise isn't exactly the perfect depiction of the character as written, in the books Reacher is described as being a very physically imposing figure, the actor brought the charisma necessary to make the character larger than life, regardless of physical stature.
With images being unveiled, and a release date of this October, we expect to get our first real look at Jack Reacher: Never Go Back in a trailer very soon. Is this a sequel that you're waiting for? Let us know what you think in the comments.
