Alan Ritchson’s new action film has a unique opportunity to capture a key element of the Jack Reacher books that the TV series missed: Reacher’s quiet nature. In Lee Child’s novels, Jack Reacher is a large, imposing man who doesn’t waste words. He speaks only when it’s truly needed, making silence a defining characteristic.
The storytelling technique works well in the books because we get to know what Jack is thinking. The idea of ‘Reacher saying nothing’ comes from a common instruction Lee Child gave – it simply means Reacher doesn’t speak. However, when the character was adapted for the Amazon series, Reacher had to become much more talkative.
Alan Ritchson’s Motor City Can Live Up To The “Reacher Said Nothing” Rule In A Way Amazon’s Show Can’t
mpi099/MediaPunch/INSTARimages
The show adapted Jack Reacher’s internal thoughts from the books by having him speak them out loud or share them with other characters. While Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of Reacher isn’t overly talkative, he does express himself a bit more than the character does in the novels. Ritchson also has several action films coming up, including Motor City, which is notable for having very little dialogue – only five lines throughout the entire movie.
This 1970s thriller stars Kaley Ritchson as a man determined to get revenge on the gangster who put him in prison. Early screenings have been very positive, and the film also features Shailene Woodley, Pablo Schreiber, and Ben Foster. Interestingly, the movie spent over ten years stuck in the planning stages before finally being made.
Originally, Chris Evans – before he became Captain America – was going to be in the movie. The script for Motor City had very little dialogue, which both interested and worried the filmmakers, explaining the long delay in getting it made. Everyone involved hopes the finished film will stay faithful to the story the writers originally envisioned.
Amazon’s Series Can’t Say True To The “Reacher Said Nothing” Rule
Because the movie Motor City reportedly features very little dialogue, it’s likely Alan Ritchson’s character will be mostly silent. It will be interesting to see how he portrays a character similar to Reacher, but without the ability to speak.
Amazon’s Reacher will be adapting Gone Tomorrow for its fourth season, a story known for its intricate plot and lots of dialogue as the main character investigates a complicated murder. The show has generally done a good job of adapting Lee Child’s novels, even while making some changes to the storyline.
Look, this show absolutely needs Jack Reacher to actually talk. The whole ‘strong, silent type’ thing just wouldn’t fly here – the plot relies on us knowing what he’s thinking. Thankfully, Alan Ritchson is so charming in the role that even when he’s delivering a lot of explanation, it doesn’t feel tedious. He makes it work, honestly.
Read More
- Heartopia Book Writing Guide: How to write and publish books
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Battlestar Galactica Brought Dark Sci-Fi Back to TV
- January 29 Update Patch Notes
- Genshin Impact Version 6.3 Stygian Onslaught Guide: Boss Mechanism, Best Teams, and Tips
- Beyond Connections: How Higher Dimensions Unlock Network Exploration
- Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Can Finally Show The 32nd Century’s USS Enterprise
- ‘Heartbroken’ Olivia Attwood lies low on holiday with her family as she ‘splits from husband Bradley Dack after he crossed a line’
- Learning by Association: Smarter AI Through Human-Like Conditioning
- Robots That React: Teaching Machines to Hear and Act
2026-01-31 20:58