Prime Video’s New James Patterson Spy Series Gets Season 2 Renewal Before Season 1 Even Premieres
Summary
- Prime Video’s
Alex Cross
series gets a season 2 renewal ahead of the season 1 premiere, aiming to reset the franchise for the small screen. - Additionally, season 2 has cast Matthew Lillard, Jeanine Mason, and Wes Chatham.
- Previous
Alex Cross
movies failed to connect, but a TV adaptation offers long-form storytelling that could finally make the property a success on screen.
The upcoming Prime Video crime-thriller series Cross, based on James Patterson’s popular series of novels, has been given a season 2 renewal before season 1 has even premiered. The books have already been adapted for the screen with three movies. First came Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, starring Morgan Freeman as Cross, and then the Tyler Perry movie Alex Cross in 2012. Cross will mark the first attempt at adapting the novels for the small screen, and will star Leverage actor Aldis Hodge as the titular detective.
According to Deadline, Prime Video has renewed Alex Cross season 2 ahead of the season 1 premiere. Additionally, the show has cast Matthew Lillard, Jeanine Mason, and Wes Chatham for the second season. Cross is set to be produced by Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, with whom Patterson signed an exclusive first-look deal in 2023. Check out a breakdown of the new season 2 characters below:
|
New Cast Member |
Character Name |
Character Description |
|
Matthew Lillard |
Lance |
“A ruthless, self-made business tycoon.” |
|
Jeanine Mason |
Rebecca |
“A brilliant, ambitious and vengeful judge.” |
|
Wes Chatham |
Donnie |
“A hard-edged military veteran turned farmer with far-right political views and sensitive heart.” |
Will Cross Finally Get The Franchise Right?
It’s The Fourth Time For A Character Who Hasn’t Translated Well To Screen
The move by Prime Video to renew Cross before it has even premiered suggests they have faith in the adaptation being a success. With the three previous Alex Cross movies failing to connect with audiences in the same way the novels were able to, it could be the right time for the franchise to reset and go again from scratch. A TV adaptation is the perfect way to do this, and it also allows for the kind of long-form storytelling that movies just cannot provide.
Patterson is no stranger to seeing his work adapted for the screen, and a reboot of another of his novel-to-screen adaptations was previously in the works, though the Women’s Murder Club reboot hasn’t moved forward in recent years. Alex Cross, however, is the author’s most famous and popular work, and the need to do justice to his iconic character will mean there is a lot riding on the show’s success. An early renewal is always a positive sign, though there is still the risk that it could be a premature move.
The Alex Cross movies took two different approaches. The Freeman-led titles depicted the character as a more reserved sleuth, while Perry’s attempted to turn him into an action star and looked to be taking influence from the Jason Bourne movies. For the TV show to work, it will need to find its feet quickly and decide on the kind of direction it is going to take Cross in as a character. With reports hinting at Cross being a dark, twisted thriller, fans might finally get the adaptation they’ve been wanting.
Cross
does not yet have a premiere date on Prime Video.
Source: Deadline
