"Fun to tackle a more modern story": Reacher star Alan Ritchson opens up about adapting new story for Season 4

Before the third season of Reacher premiered on Prime Video, author Lee Child revealed which of his books he would love to see adapted for the screen. His top choice? The Midnight Line, a novel that focuses on the opioid crisis, showing the issue from the perspective of an addict.

Lee Child explained,

"The book that I am proudest of is The Midnight Line, which is about the opioid crisis, written from a very sympathetic point of view, from the addict's point of view. I was very happy with that as a book. And I do not know how that would play on TV, but that would be one that I'd be interested to see."

This means fans might get to see a different side of Reacher. Lee added,

"He has to be sympathetic for something he would never do, something he probably has no basic sympathy for. But he's considerate of somebody who suffers from it."

Alan Ritchson, who plays Reacher in the Prime Video series, has also expressed interest in adapting The Midnight Line.

"I do like that book. It's fun watching the content of the books evolve. He started writing these in the '90s. Some of the concepts that he tackles… He's very progressive in these books and to watch the conversation change over time is a lot of fun. It'd be fun to tackle a more modern story,"

Ritchson shared.

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Will The Midnight Line be Reacher's next story?

In The Midnight Line, Reacher stumbles upon a small West Point class ring in a pawn shop. Knowing how difficult it is for someone to part with such a personal item, he suspects the ring was stolen. His investigation leads him into a dangerous criminal network involved in the illegal opioid trade.

Each season of Reacher has challenged the character in different ways. In Season 1, he had to clear his name in a small town. In Season 2, he reunited with his old military unit and had to work as a team. In Season 3, he goes undercover and faces a 7-foot-tall enemy.

With The Midnight Line being a more socially relevant story than previous Reacher books, its adaptation could change the tone of the show. The Reacher series has typically featured straightforward action plots with clear-cut villains. However, if this book is chosen for Season 4, Reacher might face a more complex moral dilemma.

Reacher is usually confident in his actions and worldview, but dealing with a real-world crisis like opioid addiction could challenge him in ways viewers haven't seen before. It would be a shift from the classic '80s-style action villains to a more grounded and emotional storyline.

Lee Child, now 70, retired from writing Jack Reacher novels in 2020, passing the responsibility to his brother, Andrew Child. However, Ritchson hopes the stories continue for many years.

"I want to do all of them, you know. I hope that Andrew writes another 10 and we could just do 40 years of this,"

he said.

With The Midnight Line offering a fresh and meaningful story, fans will have to wait and see if it becomes the next chapter in Reacher's journey.

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