When it comes to book-to-screen adaptations, they can be very hit or miss. Sometimes, the authors of the source material make their grievances known, too. However, Prime Video’s Reacher has not had that problem. That was recently proven too, because as we wait for Reacher Season 4, the author of the Jack Reacher series, Lee Child, explained why he loves the Alan Ritchson-led adaptation of his work.
Lee Child serves as an executive producer on Reacher, which premiered in 2022 and can be streamed with an Amazon Prime subscription. Every season is based on a different book in his series, and while TV adaptations may not always please novelists, Child has a different take on it all. While looking back on his book series and the world that it’s created, which includes not only a TV show but a movie adaptation, the writer told People why he’s given the Prime Video series his stamp of approval:
The story is ours. The characters are ours, but the screenwriter has to interpret that for the television viewer as opposed to the book reader. So it feels the same to me, and I’m very satisfied with it, really happy with it. But I do respect the art that goes into it after my involvement has finished.
It can be hard to adapt books for the screen because what works on the page might not necessarily work on camera and vice versa. The fact that Child understands that and knows that the interpretation will be different, but is still happy with the results, shows just how much care everyone on the series has for the source material and the series.
Of course, it helps that Child is involved in the process, so he probably has a say in a lot of things. However, as he said, just because he wrote the books doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s an expert on all things Jack Reacher, since the book and show are different. Overall, he loves the opportunity to expand and talk about this character that has meant a lot to him for almost 30 years, as pointed out that Ritchson, showrunner Nick Santos, and producer Don Granger have read the books numerous times:
They know more about Reacher than I do. It is almost like a bunch of geeks getting together and saying, let’s put on a Reacher show because they love it. And that guarantees a great result.
Since a lot of books have been adapted over the years, it’s always hard to predict how the film or TV version will turn out. Sometimes they turn out great, sometimes they get criticized for adding too much or not adding enough, and sometimes it’s a lost cause. That isn’t the case for Reacher. Child saying that he’s satisfied with how the series has turned out might be the highest compliment it could have gotten.
Meanwhile, in terms of what we’ll see on screen next from Reacher, Ritchson was nervous that Season 4 couldn’t top Season 3, but that has changed, and he now thinks it’s their best work yet. The actor has posted more than a few photos looking beat up, meaning the titular character will be going through the wringer with the best fight ever, and I’m certain you won’t want to miss out on the action.
Hopefully, Reacher Season 4 will premiere on the 2026 TV schedule. With Alan Ritchson hyping it up and Lee Child making his approval of the show very well known, there’s a lot to get excited about when it comes to what’s coming next for this beloved book-to-screen adaptation.