Amazon’s Jack Reacher Series Sets Premiere Date With First Trailer

The first trailer for Reacher starring Alan Ritchson reveals when the series will make its debut on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service. Reacher is based on the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child, and will officially premiere on Friday, February 4, 2022 with all eight episodes, available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Ritchson portrays Jack Reacher, a former veteran military police investigator who returns to normal civilian life. However, during his tour of the country, Reacher finds himself framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and must work to clear his name while at the same time uncovering a secret conspiracy.

The first season of Reacher is based on Child’s Killing Floor novel, the first of his Jack Reacher books. Emmy-nominated writer Nick Santora (Scorpion, Prison Break) pens the first season, and also executive produces and serves as showrunner for the Prime Video series. Other cast members include Malcolm Goodwin (iZombie) as Oscar Finlay, Willa Fitzgerald (The Goldfinch) as Roscoe Conklin, Chris Webster (Most Dangerous Game) as KJ, Hugh Thompson (Blessed Stranger: After Flight 111) as Baker, Maria Sten (Swamp Thing) as Frances Neagley, Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) as Jasper, Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) as Charlie, Currie Graham (Murder in the First) as Kliner Sr., Marc Bendavid (Dark Matter) as Hubble, Willie C. Carpenter (Devious Maids) as Mosley, Maxwell Jenkins (Lost in Space) as Young Reacher, and Bruce McGill (My Cousin Vinny) as Mayor Teale.

Tom Cruise previously portrayed Jack Reacher in two Paramount Pictures films — 2012’s Jack Reacher and 2016’s Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. When it came time for Amazon to produce a television adaptation of the franchise, the decision was made to go with an actor who had more of a physical resemblance to the character, who stands 6-foot-5-inches tall and weighs 240-pounds. Alan Ritchson, who also played Hank Hall/Hawk on DC’s Titans, certainly fits the bill.

Ritchson revealed new details on Reacher back in March. “I don’t know how much I can say. I’ll say that we’re gonna be doing a book a season, so the first season will be the first book,” Ritchson told Collider. “I think that’s such a great way to do this. I can see why it’d be exciting as a film, but the slow burn is what I love so much about the books. The way that he goes down the checklist and picks apart these cases, you need time. It’s okay to enjoy that. I think spending a season on each book is gonna be really enjoyable for audiences.”

The star also explained the process of being cast as Jack Reacher, while also detailing how he had to go through two separate auditions in order to land the part.

“It’s funny, I actually didn’t get the role at first. I’m not exactly six foot five and I’m not exactly 250, and I had heard that they were being very specific with their physical demands,” Ritchson added. “After working with Tom Cruise and a lot of fans being upset that he didn’t really have the physicality, as great as he was in the role, they really wanted to get that right. I was like, ‘Well, they wanna read me, but I know they’re gonna find someone like Dwayne Johnson, who’s a huge dude.’ I auditioned for the part and it was good, it was just that my take on it was a little different than what they had in mind, at the time.”

“There was a shake-up with who was casting, so they started again from scratch, and I’d already been passed on, as had everybody who did an audition,” he continued. “But when they came back around, they picked a few tapes that they’d seen already, and I was one of them, so they wanted me to come back and try again, and it worked out. The closer I got to that, the more familiar I became with the Reacher stuff. I’ve really fallen in love. I’ve read the books now and Reacher has some big shoes to fill, metaphorically speaking. I’m just so thrilled to be a part of it. It’s my favorite character that I’ve played yet.”

The description of the Prime Video series reads: “Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator who has just recently entered civilian life. Reacher is a drifter, carrying no phone and the barest of essentials as he travels the country and explores the nation he once served. When Reacher arrives in the small town of Margrave, Georgia, he finds a community grappling with its first homicide in 20 years. The cops immediately arrest him and eyewitnesses claim to place Reacher at the scene of the crime. While he works to prove his innocence, a deep-seated conspiracy begins to emerge, one that will require Reacher’s keen mind and hard-hitting fists to deal with. One thing above all is for sure: They picked the wrong guy to take the fall.”

What do you think of Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of Jack Reacher? Let your thoughts be heard in the comments!