WhenTom Cruise’sJack Reachermovie was first released, fans immediately turned against it, no matter how decent of a film it was all because of Cruise being in the lead role. InLee Child’s novels, Reacher is described as a colossal, muscle-bound man, which Cruise, despite his willingness to do any stunt imaginable, at just 5'7", is not.
When Jack Reacher returned with the Amazon Original seriesReacher,the role had been cast to fit the vision of the books, with a hulk of an actor namedAlan Ritchsonnow playing the part. For many of us,Reacheris where we first got to know him, but Ritchson’s first go at being the star of a TV series came a few years earlier in SyFy’s one-and-doneBlood Drive.
Seven years ago,Ritchson wasn’t yet the big-name star he is today. He did havea small supporting role as Aquaman onSmallville, starred inBlue Mountain State, and had a few film roles in the likes ofThe Hunger Games: Catching Fireand doing voicework inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But it wasn’t until 2017, when, at the age of 34, he got his first chance to be the lead in the SyFy seriesBlood Drive.Blood Drive, at the very least, had a unique setup. Set in an alternate, dystopian version of the ’90s, the series follows a world where resources like water and gasoline are scarce, and humanity has turned to desperate measures for survival.
In this gritty, over-the-top world, Ritchson played Arthur Bailey, a tough but morally complex L.A. cop. Bailey finds himself caught up in a series of brutal death races, driving cars that use human blood as fuel — get it,Blood Drive! The show blended dark humor, retro nostalgia, and grotesque, absurd action, creating a campy but thrilling watch that earned itself a cult following. Despite its short-lived run, it no doubt put him on the radar of audiences and industry professionals alike. But it wasn’t always an easy time on set.
Why ‘Blood Drive’s Showrunner Yelled at Alan Ritchson
IfBlood Drivesounds a little silly, it’s because it was. It wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously but was envisioned as a fun, over-the-top, Grindhouse series with good-looking young people likeChristina OchoaandMarama Corlett, car chases, and plenty of violence.Blood Drivewas so out there that it even had plots that dealt with demons and cannibals, and it did it all with a fascinating gimmick. Each episode wasa tribute to the Grindhouse genre.One story might center on those demons and cannibals, another would involve a cult, or nymphomaniacs, and more monsters.
Henry Cavill & Alan Ritchson’s 93% Rotten Tomatoes WW2 Movie Is a Streaming Hit
Henry Golding also stars in the film.
Reviews forBlood Drivewere decent, but behind the scenes, it was a mess. In aReacherinterview earlier this year withJonathan Blombergfrom MovieZine, Ritchson detailed issues he had with the showrunner,John Hlavin. Ritchson joked how he was the star of a show most people didn’t know, but the tribulations and failures of the series taught him a lot. Being the lead, he put the show’s success or failure on his shoulders. He also admitted he was a control freak, which some people didn’t like.Ritchson didn’t agree with everything that was happening withBlood Drive, which led to Hlvain calling him and yelling, “Look, by the time this sh— gets to you, it’s baked crispy hard, just say your lines, motherf—er.”
‘Blood Drive’ Was Canceled by SyFy After One Season
Ritchson said he hoped for a show that was better than what he was reading in his scripts, but he had to accept that he had no say in the matter, adding, “It taught me to enjoy just staying in my lane, that I have no control, and I have to trust the process and the people I’m married to for each project.”
Part of the problem withBlood Driveis that it was airing on SyFyat a time when the network wasno longer a go-to for sci-fi-related shows as it had once been. It didn’t matter ifBlood Drivewas mindless, popcorn fun if no one was watching. With that in mind, it wasn’t a surprise that on the day ofBlood Drive’s season finale, creatorJames Rolandannounced that SyFy had canceled the series. He wrote:
If this news makes you angry or sad, you’re not alone. I found out not too long ago, but have been trying to think of a way to tell you guys since I felt it was up to me to let the fans know. Ultimately I decided to wait until after the final episode aired so the news did not taint your experience. It simply didn’t seem right to burst the bubble so early, especially with how the last episode plays out. We always planned for a season two, but now that the future of the show is uncertain the final scenes seem so much more … final.”
DeadlinereportedBlood Drive’s ratings had gone from 834,000 viewers for the series premiere to dropping in nearly half, to 300,000-400,000 people watching.Blood Drivemight have been a bust, and Ritchson might not have had a great time making it, buthis first time as a lead helped turn him into the megastar he is today.
Blood Driveis available to rent on YouTube in the U.S.
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Blood Drive
