While the new film Alex Cross is not set to hit theaters until tomorrow, a sequel titled Double Cross is already in its infant stage of pre-production.
Alex Cross’s star Tyler Perry is reportedly in deep discussion with the mastermind behind the Alex Cross novels, James Patterson. The actor/director is negotiating the procurement of Double Cross which is the follow up within the written series.
Of course, Alex Cross will see Tyler Perry in the titular role, a detective hunting down a terrorist – played by a tatted up Matthew Fox – after a recent victim has been confirmed as one of Cross’s close relatives. Perry has plenty of experience both in front and behind the camera. While he’s mostly known for playing Madea – an overweight, elderly, nagging woman with a heart of gold – he has an equal amount of serious roles to his name.
Notwithstanding, the news of a potential sequel (especially before the original’s release) comes as somewhat of a shock. IMDB.com’s advanced screeners have only rated Alex Cross as a 5.6/10 and Rotten Tomatoes has given the film a 4.5/10 with a 19% recommendation rating (so far). Tyler Perry, along with whoever decides to help produce a sequel, sure seem to be placing a lot of faith in Alex Cross‘s overall financial and critical success.
Still, Tyler Perry’s passionate enthusiasm should not be dismissed completely. The actor/director has had plenty of success independently writing, producing and directing. He even claims to know his audiences better than any Hollywood exec and internet critic and actually has the funds, reputation and resume to back it up. For that reason alone, one should assume a sequel to Alex Cross is not only an inevitability but a film that can improve upon the original (before the original is even released).
