Ever since Alan Ritchson’s Reacher became one of Prime Video’s biggest original hits, fans have wondered whether Lee Child’s universe could successfully expand beyond its refrigerator-sized hero. This September, audiences will finally get their answer as one of the franchise’s most popular supporting characters steps into the spotlight and, if the creative team is to be believed, Frances Neagley won’t need Reacher by her side to carry the action.
Prime Video and Entertainment Weekly have unveiled the first official look at Neagley, the upcoming Reacher spin-off starring Maria Sten, ahead of the series’ San Diego Comic-Con debut. Premiering on September 16, the original series follows the former 110th Special Investigators member as she works as a private investigator in Chicago, launching her own dangerous investigation after a close friend is killed in what appears to be a suspicious accident.
‘Neagley’ Will Finally Explore Frances Neagley’s Past
Unlike Reacher, which adapts Lee Child’s novels each season, Neagley tells a completely original story, allowing the creative team to explore parts of the character’s history that have never been revealed before. “There was one element to me that was so fascinating, which was she couldn’t touch people. She has haphephobia,” co-showrunner Nick Wootton told Entertainment Weekly. “So, we really built a lot around… why? What was going on there? What happened? What was the story? There was one kernel of information that we had about this character’s backstory that sort of blossomed into a season.”
Sten said leading her own series was both exciting and intimidating following the enormous success of Reacher, and revealed we’d dig deep into the past traumas of Neagley, which may even reveal why she likes Coco Pops so much.
“The success of Reacher has been really astounding,” she said. “It’s very exciting to be given this opportunity, but of course there’s also a lot of pressure… to carry on the legacy in a way that pays homage to Reacher and of course also to the books that Lee Child created. “A huge part of the show is about trauma. As Neagley is investigating the mystery behind what happened to her friend, she’s also discovering what really happened to her in her past.”
Co-showrunner Nick Santora also promised memorable villains, saying: “The bad guys are killer… In the world of Reacher, the bad guys have to be really, really bad because we’re gonna mess them up physically, so they have to earn it.” A#AdelineRudolph, #AlanRitchson, #DamonHerriman, #GreystonHolt, #JasperJones, #MariaSten, #MatthewDelNegro, #Neagley, #PrimeVideo, #Reacherlongside Sten, the series stars Greyston Holt (Riverdale), Adeline Rudolph (Mortal Kombat II), Jasper Jones (King Ivory), Matthew Del Negro (Mayor of Kingstown), and Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood).
All episodes of Neagley premiere September 16 on Prime Video.
via Collider