Morgan Freeman Replaced in Next James Patterson Movie

A surprising casting move was announced in January when entertainment mogul Tyler Perry replaced actor Morgan Freeman for the next movie based on James Patterson's novels, "I, Alex Cross." Perry will play the role of Detective Alex Cross, a character that Freeman portrayed for years in movies including "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls" with great results. The selection of Tyler Perry is reportedly due to concerns that an aging Freeman may no longer be the right fit for this role.

While it is clear that aging actors can introduce challenges for producers who are trying to maintain a successful franchise, choosing replacements should be done carefully. This level of decision making did not seem to be the case as the next Alex Cross movie heads into production. There are many factors to consider in favor of keeping Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross, all of which producers seem to ignore.

If Hollywood can age Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and make Tom Cruise look like an entirely different person in "Tropic Thunder," makeup departments in tinsel town are surely able to shave a few years off of Morgan Freeman. Even if the physical characteristics that producers or casting directors are going for in the new film could not be entirely achieved in a makeup chair, digital geniuses can fill in the blanks where makeup artists fall short.

Tyler Perry's acting talents do not match, let alone surpass Morgan Freeman's, nor does he have as much experience and box office draw where mature and serious movie going audiences are concerned. Fans of James Patterson's work will likely not accept the casting of an actor such as Tyler Perry because they have become comfortable with Freeman playing Alex Cross. Some may also have high expectations regarding the type of talent that can recreate crime novels on screen. There are other actors who could give quality performances in this role for the next Alex Cross movie, and make audiences believe their performance more than they will any efforts from Tyler Perry.