Alex ‘Cross’ Amazon Prime series filming underway in Oshawa

Prolific detective Alex Cross is on the case today in downtown Oshawa with filming underway for the sleuth’s latest adaptation, an Amazon Prime series.

The series, simply titled Cross, stars Aldis Hodge as author James Patterson’s most famous creation. The character first appeared in the 1993 novel Along Came a Spider and has since led a series of 31 books.

Video via u/brandoncote on Reddit.

Many of the novels have become best-sellers and have been mostly well-reviewed, with some exceptions. The books quickly proved fodder for Hollywood with two films led by Morgan Freeman as Cross released in 1997 and 2001.

However, these films were poorly received and Cross sat in movie limbo for more than a decade. Finally, in 2012, Tyler Perry broke his usual comedic type to take the role in a new picture.

This flick was also critically panned and flopped hard at the box office. Plans for a follow-up were shelved, sending Cross right back into limbo.

Around the time of the Freeman film, Aldis Hodge began his acting career. He first appeared on Sesame Street from 1993 to 1995 before a major change of pace with his film debut, 1995’s Die Hard with a Vengeance.

Following this appearance Hodge lent his talents to dozens of major films and TV series in the late 1990s to 2000s including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI, ER, Friday Night Lights and Supernatural.

Photo by Liam McConnell

Hodge finally got his big break in 2008 with a lead role in TNT’s series Leverage, in which he played computer expert on a heist team. When the series ended in 2012, Hodge jumped into major film roles in acclaimed projects like Straight Outta Compton (as NWA rapper MC Ren), Hidden Figures, The Invisible Man and One Night in Miami (as NFL great Jim Brown).

Most recently, Hodge made the jump into the DC Comics Universe starring in Black Adam as Justice Society leader Hawkman, one of the publisher’s most iconic and most confusing characters.

Hodge joined the Cross in both the lead role and as a producer in 2020. The series was stuck in pre-production for quite some time afterwards with filming finally getting started in January 2023.

Plot details remain tightly under wraps. However, Cross is usually depicted as a uniquely talented detective nearly obsessed with catching killers in Washington DC. Cross’ hyperfocus often strains his relationships with his family particularly after his wife’s murder.

Cross has also been seen filming in Hamilton. It does not yet have a release date but will air on Amazon Prime.