Reacher Is Already Getting A Spinoff
It wouldn’t be a reach to say that since its debut in February 2022, Reacher has already become one of Amazon Prime Video’s most successful original TV series in its history, amassing an impressive following in a very short amount of time. The action series, which follows the high-octane adventures of the titular veteran military police investigator, has catapulted Alan Ritchson into TV stardom and given Amazon a flagship program that has the potential to turn into a money-making franchise staple for years to come. In an effort to build on that franchise, Amazon currently has a Reacher spin-off in the works, with a reported focus on fan-favorite character Frances Neagley, played by Maria Sten.
Neagley
According to Deadline, the Reacher spin-off series is currently titled Neagley and is being developed by Reacher showrunner Nick Santora and Nicholas Wooton.
Although details on the plot are currently under wraps, the show will reportedly follow Neagley, a corporate security professional who served with Reacher in the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit as a Master sergeant. The show will look to expand on the background of Neagley, who has appeared in 13 episodes of Reacher, the most for any supporting character.
On The Fast Track
As a way to connect to the Reacher spin-off to the franchise, Ritchson will appear as a guest star to reprise his role alongside Neagley, though it remains unclear how he will be featured throughout the show’s first season.
While Amazon Prime Video has yet to formally announce Neagley, insiders say that the show’s production is being fast-tracked and will be greenlit ahead of the Season 3 premiere of Reacher, which is expected to be released in late 2024 or early 2025.
Other Collaborations
Neagley won’t be the first time that Santora and Wooton have teamed up to work on a series together. The pair were each hired to join the writer’s room in mid 2000s’ series such as Law & Order, and Prison Break.
In 2014, Santora developed the crime drama Scorpion, bringing Wooton on board to serve as a writer and producer for the series, which ran for four seasons until it was cancelled in 2018.
Reacher
In July 2019, a television adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher book series was announced by Amazon Prime Video in partnership with Paramount Television and Skydance Media, with Santora acting as showrunner, writer, and producer.
Reacher used the novel Killing Floor as the premise of its first season, which saw Jack Reacher wrongly arrested for the murder of a man in Gerogia, leading to winding investigation into a corrupt police force, seedy politicians, and a greedy and power hungry businessman. Just a few days after Reacher premiered on Prime Video, Amazon picked up the show for a second season.
Reacher Has Been A Huge Hit For Amazon
For Season 2 of Reacher, Santora used the novel Bad Luck and Trouble to craft the show’s new narrative, sending Jack Reacher into another frenzied investigation into the highly-suspicious death of a former member of Reacher’s Special Investigations Unit during his time in the Army.
The series backed up its impressive first season with an equally strong second season, earning a 98 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and debuting at number two on the Nielsen top 10 streaming charts in December 2023.
Gauging the popularity and critical acclaim of Reacher, a spin-off based on a fan-favorite character looks to be a smart play for Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Deadline
