‘Cross’ star Aldis Hodge told Buzzfeed that he was “shocked” when it was revealed that author James Patterson had turned down a seven-figure deal to turn his book about police detective Alex Cross into a white man while marketing the first book. Hodge now portrays the character in the series adaptation of Patterson’s book series on Prime Video.
“I was shocked, impressed and proud of that,” Hodge said about Patterson’s revelation. “For me to step into these shoes, any time I step into a position of power or representation, it feels like a privilege and a responsibility that I’m honored to even be tasked with. I just want to carry that the right way.”
Hodge also praised his “Cross” showrunner Ben Watkins for “celebrating all of the assets and facets of the Black community” on the show “in different ways that we haven’t really seen, or that we rarely get to engage [with].”
Cross aired all eight episodes of its first season on November 14. Amazon Prime Video reported earlier this month that 40 million viewers watched ‘Cross’ during its first 20 days on air. This puts the series on par with ‘Fallout’ Season 1 and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2, making it the third biggest season premiere in 2024.
Patterson was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in November that a seven-figure offer wasn’t enough to persuade him to turn Alex Cross into a white man.
Prime Video’s ‘Cross’ has already been renewed for Season 2. The first season is now streaming.
