Isaiah Mustafa and Ryan Eggold are joining Amazon’s Alex Cross series Cross, led by Aldis Hodge.
Nzingha Stewart will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of Cross, which is based on James Patterson’s series of novels by the same name.
Cross will center on Hodge’s title character, a detective and forensic psychologist who’s uniquely capable of digging into the minds of killers and victims in order to identify and catch them. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers. He is desperate for love, but his wife’s murder has left him too damaged to receive it.
READ: FIRST LOOK: Deborah Ayorinde, Hugh Quarshie and More in Riches Coming to Prime
The series focuses on Cross trying to solve difficult cases while attempting to maintain a relationship with his family.
Mustafa will play John Sampson, also known as “Two-John” and as “Man-Mountain.” He is Alex’s partner on the force and best friend of 30 years. Full of swagger and larger than life, he believes that Cross is at a crisis point and needs to seek professional help.
Eggold will play Ed Ramsey, whose humble Midwest roots are the core of his irresistible charm, but he’s got elbows sharp enough to carve out space in the elite social and political circles of D.C. and New York. Ramsey is described as smooth, well-connected and devious; he also can be physically imposing when he needs to be and has some very dark secrets. While initially a fan of Cross, Ramsey soon becomes a formidable adversary.
READ: 21 Wildest (And Funniest) TV and Movie Dinner Scenes
The series which comes from Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television has been in the works for more than two years. but was recently given a series by Amazon order last month. Hodge is a producer in addition to starring. Ben Watkins serves as showrunner and executive produces the series alongside Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, Craig Siebels, James Patterson, Bill Robinson, Patrick Santa, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunell.
READ: 15 TV Shows and Movies That Highlight Mental Health Issues in the Black Community
The Cross character is featured in 29 novels by Patterson with the Alex Cross book series has been adapted into three feature films. Morgan Freeman was the first actor to bring the character to life in 1997’s Kiss The Girls and again in 2001’s Along Came a Spider. Tyler Perry followed with the 2012 reboot film Alex Cross.
Cross is the third Prime Video series for Paramount TV Studios and Skydance TV, after Jack Ryan and Reacher. Like Cross, the others are also based on best-selling novel series.