Today at New York Comic Con, Prime Video announced the premiere date for Season 2 of the hit crime-thriller series Cross, starring and executive produced by Aldis Hodge.
Cross is a complex, twisted, pulse-pounding thriller created by executive producer, showrunner, and writer Ben Watkins, based upon the characters from James Patterson’s best-selling Alex Cross book series. The Washington, D.C., crime drama follows Alex Cross (Hodge), a brilliant homicide detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the minds of murderers in order to identify and catch them.
In Season 2, Cross is in pursuit of a ruthless vigilante who is hunting down corrupt billionaire magnates.
When does Season 2 of ‘Cross’ premiere?
The eight-episode second season will debut exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories on Wednesday, February 11, with the first three episodes and new episodes each week leading up to the season finale on March 18.
Who are the cast and crew behind ‘Cross’?
From left: Matthew Lillard, Ben Watkins, Alona Tal, Aldis Hodge, Samantha Walkes, Isaiah Mustafa, and Wes Chatham at New York Comic Con on October 9 in New York CityPhoto by Valerie Terranova/Getty Images for Prime VideoSeason 2 brings new cast additions Matthew Lillard, Jeanine Mason, and Wes Chatham joining the Cross universe as well as returning stars Isaiah Mustafa, Alona Tal, Samantha Walkes, Juanita Jennings, Caleb Elijah, Melody Hurd, and Johnny Ray Gill.
In addition to Watkins and Hodge, Cross is executive produced by Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, J. David Shanks, Aiyana White, Craig Siebels, Owen Shiflett, James Patterson, Bill Robinson, and Patrick Santa.
Cross is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Paramount Television Studios.
What is the story behind ‘Cross’?
Author James Patterson has penned nearly 30 best-selling novels about the iconic character, whose stories have inspired three movies with Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry in the eponymous role.
But Ben Watkins, the creator, showrunner, and executive producer behind the Prime Video thriller Cross, opted for a younger leading man and chose Aldis Hodge to take the reins as the fabled forensic psychologist and detective. Watkins’s reimagining also explores Alex Cross’s family, friendships, and flaws in a way the big-screen versions did not.
“When this got put in front of me as a potential project to adapt to a television series, I got excited,” said Watkins, a self-professed crime junkie who grew up reading Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Walter Mosley. “No. 1, this is the type of stuff I would want to watch. I thought I could do a good job adapting it. No. 2, it had a legacy that included Morgan Freeman. And No. 3, when I read the books, I realized that there were actually some opportunities to do things that didn’t get done in the movies.”
Unlike in the films, TV audiences will have eight episodes of Cross to get to know the titular character.
“Alex Cross is Black. He lives in a Black neighborhood, and he has some swagger,” Watkins explained. “Those were some things I felt were missing from the movies. The irony is that updating it and making it contemporary and more authentic actually reflects what’s in the books. There were some assumptions being made about Black characters that felt like if they were too specific, they wouldn’t have the same mass appeal. I think we are now entering an era where people are really appreciating the fact that you can go narrowly and still make it universal.”
What was ‘Cross’ Season 1 about?
The first season of the pulse-pounding crime-thriller series follows Alex Cross, a decorated D.C. homicide detective and forensic psychologist who faces a sadistic and prolific serial killer. As Alex and his partner, John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), track the murderer, a mysterious threat from Alex’s past returns to destroy all that he’s done to stabilize his family, career, and personal life after a major loss.
What makes Aldis Hodge’s Alex Cross different from the other portrayals?
Watkins describes Hodge, whose previous films include Black Adam and Hidden Figures, as his muse for Cross.
“I had a dream that Aldis would be Alex Cross,” explained Watkins, who first met Hodge and his older sibling, Edwin, also an actor, when the brothers were teenagers. “He was the blueprint. Aldis exudes this curiosity. He is wise beyond his years, but in a grounded way. He has this very intense intellectual feel to him, and I knew Alex Cross had to have that. But I also needed the vulnerability. Because for this to work—and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of about this series—Alex Cross can’t be a superhero.”
“The script was just written so brilliantly that I just fell in love with it,” revealed Hodge, who is a father in real life. “When he’s at work, we get to see Alex Cross in cop mode. He’s doing his thing. But we also get to see another side of him at home when he’s just being a dad, which is what makes this role so multidimensional.”
How to stream ‘Cross’ on Prime Video
You can stream Season 1 of Cross on Prime Video, which is included with an Amazon Prime membership. It’s available for $14.99 a month or $139 annually.
Amazon also offers discounted membership options with the same benefits of a regular Prime membership—including free delivery. Young adults (ages 18–24) and college students can try Prime for Young Adults with a six-month trial, then pay only $7.49 per month, or $69 per year. Qualifying government-assistance recipients can try Prime Access for 30 days before paying $6.99 per month.
Still mulling over that membership? Give it a shot, risk-free: You can try a range of Prime membership promos, including a 30-day free trial for select, eligible customers.
What else is on Prime Video?
Once you become a Prime member, you’ll have access to Cross alongside an ever-growing library of movies, series, and other exclusive content—as well as other titles available for an additional cost. Already included in a Prime membership are series like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, and The Boys. There are also plenty of box-office favorites to rent or buy, like Deadpool & Wolverine or Twisters.
This story has been updated with new info about Season 2.
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