Werner Herzog being weird
Werner Herzog (GRIZZLY MAN) is one of the most interesting and hilarious figures in the film industry. When he’s not making films about strange people (FITZCARRALDO), he’s off being strange himself. He’s provided some of the industry’s all time greatest anecdotes; eating his shoe after losing a bet, walking from Munich to Paris, and getting shot with an air rifle during an interview with Mark Kermode. Now, though, it seems he is channelling that bizarre energy into a villainous role opposite Tom Cruise (RISKY BUSINESS) in Paramount’s upcoming ONE SHOT.
The film, directed by Christopher McQuarrie (VALKYRIE), is an adaptation of a novel by Lee Child. Cruise will play Jack Reacher, the main character of Child’s series of novels. In the books, Reacher is an extremely tall, tremendously strong military type. To recap, he is to be played by Tom Cruise. Herzog will play The Zed, an ex prisoner of war. Herzog is good at capturing a threateningly creepy tone, with the ability to be genuinely menacing.
ONE SHOT, which also features Richard Jenkins (SIX FEET UNDER), is scheduled for release in early 2013, which is sure to give fans of the book plenty of time to whinge about Cruise’s miscasting. This will be McQuarrie’s first feature as director since 2000’s WAY OF THE GUN, but he proved with THE USUAL SUSPECTS that he knows how to tell a story. Perhaps his qualities, combined with a star studded cast, will be able to turn what sounds like a fairly run of the mill action movie into something more interesting.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
