Novelist and screenwriter Jack Carr revealed he envisioned Chris Pratt to lead the on-screen adaptation of his thriller “The Terminal List” as soon as he started writing the bestseller over a decade ago, detailing the decision on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast.
“I write my first line, and, of course, as a child of the ’80s, I think, ‘Who’s going to star in this masterpiece?’… and I think, ‘Chris Pratt, he needs to do that for his career. He’s on ‘Parks and Rec.’ He’s always kind of an overweight jokester guy on ‘Parks and Rec,'” Carr said on Tuesday’s episode.
Pratt was also fresh off a more serious role as a Navy SEAL in the 2012 film “Zero Dark Thirty,” something that helped Carr connect the dots.
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“He slims down [for the role], he is in shape. I’m like, ‘This guy… for his career, he needs to play a character like this. Chris Pratt will star.'”
That was December 2014, Carr said. At the time, he still had approximately a year and a half left in the military, and was just beginning to write what would become “The Terminal List.”
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Published in 2018, the story follows Navy SEAL Commander James Reece as he investigates a deadly ambush that wiped out his entire team, only to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy.
The novel went on to become a bestseller and was later adapted into a 2022 Prime Video series starring Pratt in the lead role of Reece, bringing Carr’s early vision full circle. Season two of “The Terminal List” is set to premiere on Oct. 21.
Hannity’s full interview with Carr is available now on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast, where the two discuss Carr’s military background, writing process and the success of “The Terminal List.”
