| Genre: | Crime thriller |
| Creator: | Ben Watkins |
| Showrunner: | Ben Watkins |
| Runtime: | 51–62 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 8 |
| Channel: | Amazon Prime Video |
Cross is an American crime thriller television series created by Ben Watkins, based on the Alex Cross novel series written by James Patterson. It stars Aldis Hodge, Isaiah Mustafa, and Juanita Jennings, and it premiered on Amazon Prime Video on November 14, 2024. The series follows Alex Cross, a forensic psychologist and homicide D.C. Metro Detective, alongside his partner, Detective John Sampson, as they pursue some of America’s most dangerous killers. Together, they navigate the perils of the criminal underworld while Alex strives to safeguard his family from its threats. Along with Watkins, the series' executive producers included Craig Siebels, Nzingha Stewart, James Patterson, Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, Bill Robinson, Patrick Santa, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunell. The series was produced by Blue Monday Productions, Skydance Television, Paramount Television Studios, and Amazon MGM Studios.
The series was filmed in Ontario, Canada, in Hamilton, Toronto, and surrounding areas. It was in development for nearly four years. Notably, the series was renewed for a second season even before the premiere of its first season.
Alex Cross is a Washington, D.C. homicide detective and forensic psychologist who is also a devoted father and family man. Driven by an obsessive determination to delve into the minds of killers and victims, he works tirelessly to uncover the truth and bring perpetrators to justice. Struggling with escalating temper issues and resisting therapy for over a year after the murder of his wife (Chaunteé Schuler Irving), Cross considers taking a leave of absence. However, he is drawn into a high-profile case involving the murder of a local Defund the Police/Black Lives Matter activist. The politically over ambitious white police chief, seeking both a black detective as the public face of the controversial investigation and a swift resolution, complicates matters further.
The first Alex Cross novel was published in 1993, and there have since been 31 additional novels in the series, as well as two novellas and three books centered on Alex's son, Ali.[1] The Cross character has also been featured in three feature films: Kiss the Girls (1997) and Along Came a Spider (2001) (with Morgan Freeman in the role of Alex Cross) and Alex Cross (2012) (with Tyler Perry as Cross).[2]
On January 22, 2020, it was announced that Amazon Studios, Paramount Television Studios, and Skydance Television were teaming up to develop a television series based on James Patterson's Alex Cross novels.[3] On October 27, 2022, it was given a series order by Prime Video, with Aldis Hodge in the title role and also producing, and Ben Watkins as showrunner and writer.[2] [4] The series is executive produced by Patterson, Watkins, Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, Craig Siebels, Bill Robinson, Patrick Santa, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunnel.[5] On April 30, 2024, it was announced that ahead of the series premiere, the series had been renewed for a second season.
On November 29, 2022, it was announced that Ryan Eggold and Isaiah Mustafa had joined the cast.[6] On December 8, 2022, it was announced that Karen LeBlanc, Melody Hurd, Juanita Jennings, Caleb Elijah, Jennifer Wigmore, and Samantha Walkes had been added to the cast.[7] LeBlanc was replaced by Sharon Taylor, in a January 2023 recasting.[8]
Upon the second season renewal announcement, Jeanine Mason added to the cast for the new season.[9] Wes Chatham and Matthew Lillard have also been added to the cast for the second season.[5]
Filming of both seasons took place in Ontario, Canada, with Hamilton, Ontario set to feature prominently throughout both seasons of the series.[10] [11]
A first teaser trailer for Cross was released on May 14, 2024,[12] [13] followed by a full trailer on September and the unveiling of the series.[14] Cross premiered on November 14, 2024, All eight episodes of the first season were released on Amazon Prime Video.
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 27 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Cross case for itself isn't closed just yet, but the commanding Aldis Hodge makes for the most arresting embodiment of James Patterson's literary creation yet."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 62 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[16]
James Hibbs of Radio Times rated Cross two out of five stars, describing it as a "high-octane, entertaining cop drama" but criticized it as being "cliché-ridden." He praised Aldis Hodge's "charismatic performance" but noted that the series' "lack of story propulsion" makes it more suitable for binge-watching than episodic viewing.[17] Kelly Lawler of USA Today awarded the series two out of four stars, criticizing its pacing and plotting. Lawler remarked, "While Hodge is superbly cast and the team is clearly striving to deliver a gripping crime story, the pacing, plotting, and big reveals feel just slightly off-key. It leaves you with the impression that what you’ve watched is an Alex Cross cover band—not the real thing."[18]
Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter praised Aldis Hodge's humor and the series' "satisfactory" ending, noting that despite its flaws, Cross provides Hodge with a much-deserved career-defining role. He described the show as something Amazon executes successfully, though not always perfectly.[19]