Aldis Hodge has a new “Cross” to bear, but his take on author James Patterson’s beloved detective will be a vastly different interpretation than has appeared in previous adaptations of the novels. And Hodge is rightfully excited about his divergent and nuanced iteration of Alex Cross, who appears in the upcoming Prime Video series, which is aptly titled Cross. Hodge said in an interview with Screen Rant while appearing at the New York Comic Con (NYCC):
“I think that, for me, I see our execution of Cross as just one element, which is the vast fullness of his entire world it’s alluding to, if we get to explore that. We get to see the cop, not only that, we get to see the father, we get to see the family man, the friend. We get to see the vulnerable person that may not have all the answers, and is still trying to find out.”
The renowned police detective was originally portrayed by Morgan Freeman (Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider) and then Tyler Perry (2012’s Alex Cross film), but expect more character exploration and development in the Prime Video series. “I get to play a very full-scale being who is intentional, sometimes makes a mistake here or there, but he gets to be honest,” Hodge admitted. And the latest actor to portray the Patterson protagonist continued by saying during the same sit-down:
“And that’s the thing that I love the most.
So, the fact that we get to explore that episode by episode by episode means that the potential is never ever fully exhausted. We have different levels to go. Every episode, every season, there’s more potential to me, and we keep meeting it and keep beating it. So, it keeps me interested, it keeps me full, as an artist. It keeps me satisfied and, honestly, very happy.”
James Patterson Approves of Prime Video’s Cross
Certainly, not all writers are going to be thrilled with the way their material is shaped into storytelling for the small and big screens — just ask Stephen King how he felt about seeing The Shining brought to life in theaters. But in the case of the upcoming Prime Video series, Cross, author James Patterson loves the “edgier” Aldis Hodge-led detective saga. Patterson said during an interview while appearing on the Armchair Expert podcast:
“The new Alex Cross series on Amazon with Aldis Hodge, that’s good. That’s the first one where I can look at it and really go, ‘Yup, it’s edgier, it’s more realistic about police work.’ I really like the way that turned out.”
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Aldis Hodge Matches Wits with Creepy Masked Killer in Official Trailer for Cross
Check out the long-awaited official trailer for Cross, which comes on the heels of May’s minute-long teaser four months ago.
For those fans of the novels, there is one thing worth noting before sitting down to watch the Prime Video series. While the upcoming show is adapting the character of Alex Cross from the source material, it is not retelling any of Patterson’s stories. Rather, audiences will be treated to something original and without the books to rely on. And the best-selling author is onboard despite some complaints. Patterson discussed the show’s departure from his stories in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly by saying:
“It’s something I say when anybody is developing one of my books or characters: I much prefer the story be brand new. I was hoping the show would be a breakthrough and not dependent on the book, and it’s happened.”
The wait is almost over as Cross will finally be available to stream and/or binge-watch when all eight episodes drop via Prime Video on Thursday, November 14. Season 2 of Cross has already been ordered ahead of Season 1’s premiere.