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The author of the Jack Reacher books said Tom Cruise will not be returning to play the character in his small-screen reboot because he is “too short,” BBC News reports. Author Lee Child told BBC Radio that the 5-foot-7-inch Cruise does not fit the build of the fictional Reacher, who is reportedly described as being “6 feet 5 inches tall with hands the size of dinner plates.” “Cruise, for all his talent, didn’t have that physicality,” Child said, referring to Cruise’s portrayal of Reacher in two feature films. “I really enjoyed working with Cruise. He’s a really, really nice guy. We had a lot of fun… But ultimately the readers are right. The size of Reacher is really, really important and it’s a big component of who he is.”
Child, who reportedly signed a deal last week to create a Jack Reacher streaming show, said he decided there wouldn’t be any more films with Cruise, and a search for a new Reacher would commence for the “long form streaming television” series. “I want all those readers who were upset about Tom Cruise to help me out—participate in choosing the right actor for the TV series,” he said. “We’re rebooting and starting over and we’re going to try and find the perfect guy.”