Heroes Reborn alum Danika Yarosh is on the verge of joining Cobie Smulders and Tom Cruise in Paramount’s action-packed sequel Jack Reacher 2, according to Variety.
The outlet was quick to point out that scheduling conflicts with the live-action superhero series could scupper a deal before pen touches paper, though it’s understood that Yarosh has shouldered her way to the top of Paramount’s most-wanted list. Indeed, the very fact that the studio is circling the actress aligns with previous reports that director Ed Zwick will be using Lee Child’s Never Go Back novel as the sequel’s foundations, which would see Cruise’s one-man army partner up with a young female character.
Supplanting Christopher McQuarrie in the director’s chair, Zwick has already mapped out ambitious plans for the future of the Jack Reacher, hinting that Paramount could adopt the Anthology format in accordance with the self-contained nature of Child’s acclaimed spy novel series. As for Never Go Back, if it really is to serve as the foundation for the studio’s follow-up, it could make for an intriguing, character-driven actioner.
Here’s the official synopsis of the book.
In it, Reacher heads back to his old military base in Virginia to take a woman to dinner who is now the commanding officer. By the time he gets there, she has been arrested, and Reacher finds himself being charged with pummeling one guy and fathering a child with a woman. He can’t remember either transgression but gets to the bottom of it with cunning and sometimes brute force.
With Yarosh on the cusp of sealing a deal, Jack Reacher 2 is beginning to take shape ahead of its November start date, and we’re excited to see the chemistry between both the Heroes Reborn starlet and Cruise late next year – a time when the sequel will open against Ouija 2 and the long-gestating Underworld 5.
Paramount has slated Jack Reacher 2 for a release on October 21, 2016, with filming due to commence in the fall. Will Danika Yarosh be a part of the finalized ensemble? We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
