There's been no shortage of Tom Cruise news leading up to Jack Reacher's release. In addition to the tabloid frenzy over the actor's split with Katie Holmes, fans of Lee Child's best-selling Reacher novels have been noisy about the less-than-imposing Cruise playing the series' brawny 6' 5'' hero. ''I have an abiding respect for the fans,'' says director Christopher McQuarrie (writer of The Usual Suspects), who also adapted the script. ''But until they see the movie, there's not really a discussion to be had.... I only answer to Lee Child, who said, 'Why wouldn't I want the biggest star in the world to play this character I created?' ''
Based on Child's 2005 thriller One Shot, Reacher introduces the titular loner an ex-military cop who drifts around the U.S. with only a toothbrush and a thirst for bare-knuckle justice as he investigates a sniper-killings case. Regardless of his stature, you can expect the usual Cruise commitment to onscreen daredevilry. ''A lot of actors say they do their own stunts, but Tom really does,'' says Rosamund Pike, who plays an attorney who teams up with Reacher. ''I would go on set at 3 a.m. just to watch him crash his car and do things that would surely kill someone.'' The guy does have a way of emerging unscathed.
