Cross creator and showrunner Ben Watkins explained why Aldis Hodge is the perfect actor to succeed Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry as Detective Alex Cross. Based on the best-selling crime novel series by James Patterson, Cross is the third attempt to bring the cunning forensic psychologist and detective to life on screen. Where Freeman originally played the role in 1997 Kiss the girls and 2001 Along came a spider, Perry would later step in to lead the 2012 reboot Alex Cruz. Meanwhile, Hodges’ version, which will be the first television adaptation of the character, is should arrive on Prime Video on November 14th.
Talking to Screen speech ahead of Cross’With the streaming launch imminent, Watkins revealed that he based his version of Patterson’s detective on Hodge before even casting him on paper. Explaining that he first met the star when he was a teenager with his brother Edwin, he was impressed both by his imposing presence and his innate curiosity. When it finally came time to start crafting his show’s version of the character, he felt compelled to sit down with the actor and find out his availability and interest in the character. Check out their comments below:
I have to say that Aldis Hodge was actually the model for the character. Even before I thought he was available. I met Aldis Hodge when he was a teenager. We played in a basketball league in Hollywood, it was an industrial league, and I watched him sail along with his brother, Edwin, and I was very impressed with those guys. They were still teenagers, but they were humble and respectful, but somehow they had a very commanding presence and they found a way to carve out, among all these egos, their space. And so, I watched his career unfold and every time I saw something, I was amazed.
Every time I saw him off-screen, I was struck by how observant he was. I knew how curious he was, I knew he was extremely intelligent and had broad interests. And I started thinking when I was creating the character of Cross, “Well, there’s a guy who innately exhibits these characteristics.” So it became a question of, “Well, did you know that I want to take this version of Alex Cross on a real character journey?” And a lot of actors are afraid of that, especially if you played Hawkman and you’re just a hero. “Are you ready to be vulnerable in front of an audience and be stretched as an actor?” So, I had to sit down with Aldis when I found out that he was not only available, but also interested in the role, and we had a three-hour conversation, and it quickly moved away from what the character was doing. be it for our opinions on the industry and our career plans and then life.
But it came back to the question: “Will you be okay if I throw some things at you that will make you push yourself and go to places that will really get to you on a personal level?” And his response was, “I’m at a point in my life and my career where I want that.” And that made him the perfect Alex Cross.
The character never really got his due
While television audiences have no shortage of fictional detectives based on the works of best-selling crime authors, Previous adaptations of Patterson’s Alex Cross never lived up to his character’s true potential. Although Freeman’s version of the character generated some moderate box office success, the films did not please critics at the time of their original releases. Meanwhile, Perry’s 2012 version not only suffered a similar critical defeat, but also failed to recoup its original $35 million budget at the box office, abruptly halting plans for the intended sequel, Double Cross.
Perhaps the main reason both iterations of the character have stumbled lies in a feature film’s limited ability to explore the various complexities of Patterson’s original character. Sacrificing a more character-driven journey in exchange for a focus on each of the films’ primary mysteries, the result has often been a greatly watered-down version of the detective presented in the source material. However, given Watkins’ faith in his star combined with his willingness to explore the character on a more personal level, it’s possible that Cross could finally deliver the live-action version of Alex Cross that readers have been asking for.
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With just a few weeks left before audiences get the chance to see Hodge’s version of Alex Cross, only time will tell whether Watkins’ belief in his breakout star is well-placed. However, given that audiences were never given a truly memorable version of the character to begin with, it’s possible that Hodge’s detective will receive the same kind of acclaim as Alan Ritchson’s version of Jack Reacher.
Much like the previous film adaptation of Patterson’s books, the Tom Cruise-led film Jack Reacher the films were often accused of not living up to the book version of the character. However, while Amazon Reach the adaptation would quickly gain widespread acclaim for its deeper exploration of Lee Child’s hero, Cross could deliver Patterson’s detective a pitch-perfect interpretation of a beloved literary character.