Alan Ritchson says a planned adaptation of his favorite Lee Child novel for the Amazon series Reacher was cancelled because of political events.
The actor, who plays the title character Jack Reacher, said the production team had approved an adaptation of the 1998 novel Die Trying before the project changed course.
Ritchson made the claim on the social media platform Threads while responding to a fan. The fan had expressed disappointment that the series had not adapted the book, which features the main character fighting a white supremacist militia.
In his response, Ritchson said it was his favorite book and that he had secured approval for the adaptation until someone was reelected.
The actor has previously spoken about his opposition to Donald Trump. Weeks earlier, the White House responded to comments Ritchson made suggesting Trump should go to prison over his connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Die Trying plot
Die Trying is the second book in the series written by British author Lee Child. The books follow Jack Reacher, a former United States military police officer who travels the country and frequently encounters dangerous situations.
The 1998 novel tells the story of Reacher and a politician's daughter who are kidnapped by a radical militia. The group intends to use the woman as leverage in an attempt to separate from the United States.
The fourth season of Reacher recently concluded, and the fifth season is already in production.
Upcoming fifth season
The Amazon Prime Video series is instead adapting Make Me, the twelfth book in the Lee Child series, published in 2015.
The story follows Reacher as he travels by train to a Midwestern town called Mother's Rest. A stop leads him into an investigation into a missing person alongside Michelle Chang, a former FBI agent working as a private detective.
Prime Video has added several new cast members for the fifth season. Jay Baruchel, known for FUBAR and How to Train Your Dragon, and Kevin Durand, who appeared in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will feature in main roles.
Amanda Ip from Cross and Ciara Bravo from Voicemails for Isabelle have also joined the cast.
Beyond Reacher, Ritchson is attached to a film adaptation of the video game Helldivers. The actor will play a soldier defending Super Earth.
