How Cross’ Depiction Of James Patterson Hero Is Different From Prior Adaptations Detailed By Star

Aldis Hodge is the third actor to bring Alex Cross to the screen, but he says Prime Video’s forthcoming Cross show will offer fans a different take on James Patterson’s forensic psychologist. Based on the best-selling series of crime novels, Morgan Freeman was the first actor to tackle the role in movie adaptations of 1997’s Kiss the Girls and 2001’s Along Came a Spider. Tyler Perry later succeeded Freeman, as he headlined 2012’s Alex Cross. Meanwhile, Hodge’s Cross season 1 is scheduled to begin streaming on November 14, with season 2 already confirmed prior to its release.

Talking with Screen Rant at this year’s New York Comic-Con, Hodge spoke about how his character will differ from Freeman’s and Perry’s versions. Hodge explained that the episodic television format allows Cross to fully explore the various aspects of his character, from his work as a detective to his family life and role as a father. Suggesting that his character’s “potential is never ever fully exhausted,” he says that the ever-evolving nature of the show helps keep him interested and happy in the role. Check out his comments below:

I think that, for me, I see our execution of Cross as just one element, which is the vast fullness of his entire world it’s alluding to, if we get to explore that. We get to see the cop, not only that, we get to see the father, we get to see the family man, the friend. We get to see the vulnerable person that may not have all the answers, and is still trying to find out. I get to play a very full-scale being who is intentional, sometimes makes a mistake here or there, but he gets to be honest, and that’s the thing that I love the most.

So, the fact that we get to explore that episode by episode by episode means that the potential is never ever fully exhausted. We have different levels to go. Every episode, every season, there’s more potential to me, and we keep meeting it and keep beating it. So it keeps me interested, it keeps me full, as an artist. It keeps me satisfied and, honestly, very happy.

What Cross’ TV Format Means For James Patterson’s Detective

Aldis Hodge Could Deliver The Most Faithful Alex Cross

With Patterson’s Alex Cross book series currently consisting of 32 novels and two novellas, the three previous movie adaptations have only just scratched the surface of the wealth of source material that Hodge’s show can draw upon. Moreover, Detective Cross’s tragic family life is something that has only previously been touched upon in Perry’s iteration of the character. Even then, 2012’s Alex Cross only managed to depict the murder of his character’s first wife, Maria, and was limited in its ability to provide a more detailed exploration of the lasting impact of her death on his eldest children.

However, Cross’s new television format already looks poised to deliver a more faithful and complete adaptation of Patterson’s crime-solving character. Already the series has cast former NFL-player-turned-actor Isaiah Mustafa as Cross’s childhood friend and fellow detective John Sampson, a role that was rewritten as Edward Burns’ Detective Tommy Kane in Perry’s movie and severely diminished in 1997’s Kiss the Girls.

The Alex Cross Movies Never Really Did The Character Justice

Over the years, movie and television audiences have had no shortage of fictional detectives being lifted directly from the pages of best-selling novels, including fellow Prime Video franchise Reacher. However, Patterson’s Alex Cross has never really been given the kind of adaptation his character deserves. Despite Freeman’s movies delivering moderate box office success, both Kiss the Girls and Along Came A Spider fell flat with critics. Meanwhile, Perry’s Alex Cross not only suffered similar reviews but also failed to recoup its original $35 million budget.

However, Hodge’s insistence that Cross’s episodic television format will finally help deliver a more complete picture of the character bodes well for fans of Patterson’s novels. Moreover, it is a sense of confidence that Prime Video seems to share, given that Cross season 2 has already been confirmed before season 1’s release.

Cross follows the titular Alex Cross, a detective and forensic psychologist particularly adept at understanding and analyzing the minds of killers and their victims. Cross uses this prowess to bring murderers to justice.

Cast

Aldis Hodge , Jennifer Wigmore , Mercedes de la Zerda , Sharon Taylor , Siobhan Murphy , Stacie Greenwell , Ashley Rios , matthew lillard

Release Date

November 14, 2024

Seasons

1

Franchise(s)

Alex Cross

Writers

Ben Watkins

Directors

Craig Siebels , Nzingha Stewart

Creator(s)

Ben Watkins

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