Tom Cruise Officially Returns for 'Jack Reacher' Sequel

The second installment of the 'Jack Reacher' movie series will be based on Lee Child's 2013 book 'Never Go Back'.

© Paramount Pictures

A sequel to 2012's thriller "Jack Reacher" is officially in the works at Paramount and Skydance Productions. Tom Cruise will return to reprise his role as the titular tough guy. The studio is looking for new scribes since Christopher McQuarrie who directed and wrote the first film is focusing on "Mission: Impossible V".

The first film is based on Lee Child's 2005 novel "One Shot". The second one will be adapted from 2013's "Never Go Back", the eighteenth book in Child's Jack Reacher series. It follows the former military member returning to the headquarters of his old unit in Virginia and facing complications including a serious criminal offense.

A sequel initially seemed unlikely as the first film made on a budget of $60 million only raked in $80 million domestically, but its $218 million worldwide haul apparently gave the studio a boost of confidence. The 2012 pic is supported by Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo and many others.