An American author known for his thriller, horror, and mystery novels, James Patterson’s works, such as his popular series Alex Cross, have made it to the small screen in wonderful adaptations that fans of the author should think about watching. Crosshas really gained a following, though,telling the story of homicide detective and forensic psychologist Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge), who chases down a serial killer, a true homage to the original source material and not the only Patterson project to intrigue fans and gain viewership.
From the legal drama Women's Murder Club to the violent animal attacks happening around the world in Zoo, there are many shows and even television movies to watch if you’re not only a fan of Crossbut Patterson’s creative mind. While many of his projects do revolve around drama and mystery, there is still a little something for everyone, such as the romance "telefilm" Sundays at Tiffany's, something that people don’t typically associate with Patterson’s work and other projects but still worth watching! So, if you’re a fan of Cross, think about watching these other Patterson projects.
Release Date November 14, 2024
Cast Aldis Hodge , Isaiah Mustafa , Juanita Jennings , Alona Tal , Samantha Walkes , Caleb Elijah , Melody Hurd , Jennifer Wigmore , Eloise Mumford , Ryan Eggold , Johnny Ray Gill , Stacie Greenwell , Mercedes de la Zerda , Sharon Taylor , Dwain Murphy , Karen Robinson , Matt Baram , Siobhan Murphy , Jason Rogel , Chaunteé Schuler Irving , Ann Hamilton , Ashley Rios , Richard Waugh
Seasons 2
Creator(s) Ben Watkins
Writers Ben Watkins
Franchise(s) Alex Cross
Directors Craig Siebels , Nzingha Stewart
Main Genre Crime
10 ‘Child of Darkness, Child of Light’ (1991)
Directed By Marina Sargenti
Image via USA
Based on Patterson’s 1980 novel Virgin, the horror television film Child of Darkness, Child of Light is an interesting take on the concept of the Virgin Mary and a prophecy stating another virgin will conceive. The film follows Father Justin O'Carroll (Tony Denison) as he is sent to Pennsylvania from the Vatican to investigate a mysterious pregnancy. When he arrives in the state, he meets a 15-year-old teen, Margaret Gallagher (Sydney Penny), who says she is a virgin. Bullied by her classmates for saying such things, mysterious occurrences begin to happen to her bullies with no explanations.
Then, there is Kathleen Beavier (Kristin Dattilo) in Boston, who, like Margaret, is pregnant but claims to be a virgin. That’s when Father Justin remembers a prophecy told to him before leaving the Vatican. There will be two immaculate conceptions, and while one will be a divine child, the other will be the child of Satan. Now, it is up to him to figure out which child is which before it is too late. It is a horror movie through and through, with scares that could only be accomplished within the world of 1990s telemovies.
Child of Darkness, Child of Light
Release Date May 1, 1991
Cast Brad Davis , Tony Denison , Paxton Whitehead , Claudette Nevins , Sydney Penny , Kristin Dattilo , Alan Oppenheimer , Eric Christmas , Richard McKenzie , Viveca Lindfors , Sela Ward , Josh Lucas , John DeMita , Mark Tassoni , Peter Holden , Patrick Michael Ryan , Vana O'Brien , Brendan Fraser , Joe Ivy , Betty Moyer , Barbara Irvin , Mary Marsh , Lance Rosen , Hank Cartwright , Richard Wiltshire
Producers Paul Tucker
Directors Marina Sargenti
Child of Darkness, Child of Light is not available for streaming or purchase.
9 ‘First To Die’ (2003)
Directed By Russell Mulcahy
Based on the popular detective novel 1st to Die, the film of the same name, stylized a bit differently as First to Die, follows Detective Lindsay Boxer (Tracy Pollan) and a team of women. Together, they investigate and go after a serial killer who targets brides. The thing is, the killer isn’t targeting them on their wedding day but during their honeymoon. Like most dramas, there is more going on in Boxer’s life than this career-making case. She is also falling for her partner, Chris Raleigh (Gil Bellows), and dealing with an illness that could be life-threatening.
The television movie showcases incredible detective work conducted by an all-star cast of characters, with
a lot of praise for
Robert Patrick
’s scary portrayal of killer Nicholas Jenks.
Running a solid 180 minutes, the television movie showcases incredible detective work conducted by an all-star cast of characters, with a lot of praise for Robert Patrick’s scary portrayal of killer Nicholas Jenks, who escapes from a correctional officer’s car to begin his hunt once again. While the film has its thrilling moments with gun fights and chases, it is also fun and entertaining to watch, an adaptation Patterson fans shouldn’t miss out on.
Set in San Francisco, California, Women’s Murder Club is based on Patterson’s novel series of the same name and follows the lives of four women: homicide detective Lindsay Boxer (Angie Harmon), Deputy District Attorney Jill Bernhardt (Laura Harris), medical examiner Dr. Claire Washburn (Paula Newsome), and, the youngest member of “The Club,” crime reporter Cindy Thomas (Aubrey Dollar). Together, with their individual expertise and talents in their fields, the four women pull together their respective resources in order to solve murder cases that are happening around the city.
The series is an entertaining watch for those who enjoy the book series (and even for those who haven’t read it!). It is a well-written show with a solid core group of actors who bring their intellect to the screen, making for a thought-provoking narrative that keeps viewers hooked and wanting to solve the case just as badly as the characters. The Women’s Murder Club is an excellent yet one of those underrated crime dramas and one of the better shows of the genre produced by ABC in the 2000s.
Release Date October 12, 2007
Cast Angie Harmon , Jason Sehorn , Jeff Burr , Joan McMurtrey , John Billingsley , Josh Randall , Joy Bisco , judith hoag , Kelvin Yu , Kyle Secor , Laura Harris , Marc Vann , Orson Bean , Renée Victor , Robert Picardo , Stephanie Venditto , Suzanne Cryer , justice leak , Nathan Baesel , Nathan Keyes , Roy Vongtama , Paula Newsome , Aubrey Dollar , Tyrees Allen , Rob Estes
ProducersBrett Ratner , James Patterson , Jessica Simpson , Joe Simpson
Writers Gretchen J. Berg , Matt Witten , Melinda Hsu Taylor , Aaron Harberts , R. Scott Gemmill , Tom Szentgyorgyi , Elizabeth Craft , Barbara Hall
Network ABC
Women's Murder Club is currently not available for streaming or purchase.
7 ‘Sundays at Tiffany's’ (2010)
Directed By Mark Piznarski
A Lifetime movie based on Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet’s romance novel of the same name, Sunday’s at Tiffany’s, is a bit different from the author’s typical mystery novels. It follows the story of Jane (Emily Alyn Lind), starting when she is a young kid with an imaginary friend, Michael (Eric Winter). Michael was assigned to Jane, a kid who needed someone in her life since her parents were really around. Sadly, the imaginary friends are only allowed to stay with their wards until they are ten years old, at which time they leave, and the kids forget. Fast-forward twenty years and Jane (Alyssa Milano) works on Broadway with her overbearing mother (Stockard Channing), who is dating an egotistical man named Hugh (Ivan Sergi), and is overall not happy with her life. That is, she isn’t happy until Michael comes back into it.
It is one of those feel-good movies all about finding what makes a person happy, falling in love, and getting rid of the toxic people that are in one’s life. Not only is Sunday at Tiffany’s a wonderful romance film, but it is also a very original narrative that is interesting to watch, as Jane has to figure out what she actually wants out of life while also being ok that her imaginary friend isn’t human. It is about being emotionally aware of the circumstances people find themselves in and, with the help of the right person, being able to get out of that hole to lead the life they want.
Release Date December 6, 2010
CastAlyssa Milano , Eric Winter , Kristin Booth , Emily Alyn Lind , Ivan Sergei , Stockard Channing , Robyn Thaler Hickey , Mo Kelso , Gage Munroe , Janet Porter , Kofi Payton , Lyndie Greenwood , Lindsay Ames , Meghan Heffern , Joan Gregson , George R. Robertson , Athena Karkanis , Charlotte Hegele , Diego Fuentes , George Tchortov , Kenneth Wickes , Mark Whelan , Brendan Heard , Ian Busher , London Angelis
Developed By Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg
Image via CBS
Based on Patterson and Michael Ledwidge’s novel of the same name, the drama series Zoo is unlike anything else. With random animal attacks happening all over the world, it is up to zoologist Jackson Oz (James Wolk) to figure out what is going on. He isn’t the only one interested in what is going on with the animals, though, and he gets help from journalist Jamie Campbell (Kristen Connolly), safari guide Abraham Kenyatta (Nonso Anozie), French intelligence investigator Chloe Tousignant (Nora Arnezeder), and veterinary pathologist Dr. Mitch Morgan (Billy Burke). Together, they investigate the strange occurrences as they become more focused, organized, and brutal.
The show is wholly entertaining, with an animal uprising that consists of telepathic lions, kamikaze bats, 70-foot invisible snakes, and so much more. With four misfits trying their best to stop a virus that is suspected to be the cause of the animal rebellion, it is definitely a show that one has to take with a large grain of salt. Even so, it is also one that fans of Patterson will appreciate if for nothing more than the original concept and the incredible rebel animals that are clearly the stars of the three-season series.
Release Date June 30, 2015
Cast April Grace , Ben Cotton , Bess Armstrong , Billy Burke , Brett Baker , Brian Tee , Carl Lumbly , Carl Palmer , Catherine Lough Haggquist , Charles Jarman , Charlie Talbert , Chelsea Bruland , Christopher Berry , Clay St. Thomas , Dalias Blake , Dan Shea , Darren E. Scott , David Jensen , David Stuart , Dean Paul Gibson , Deneen Tyler , Don Yesso , Garfield Wilson , Gonzalo Menendez , Henri Lubatti
Writers Bryan Oh , Jay Faerber , Melissa Glenn , Nick Parker , Matt Pitts , Rebekah F. Smith , Carla Kettner , Shintaro Shimosawa , Geoffrey Tock , Gregory Weidman
A police procedural drama based on Patterson’s 2017 novel Murder Games, Instinctfollows the story of Dylan Reinhart (Alan Cumming) as he moves from his quiet life back into the mess of solving murders and crimes. An author and former CIA paramilitary officer turned psychology professor, Reinhart is brought in by the New York Police Department to help with strange and bizarre cases. Primarily, these are cases that, weirdly enough, are very similar to those he writes about in his books. A serial killer is using his words as inspiration. Lured back into the world that he left by New York police detective Elizabeth Needham (Bojana Novakovic), Reinhart does his best to help the NYPD find the killer before it is too late.
The series follows the typical police procedural format but has a way of telling the narrative in a fun and exciting way. Of course, having Cumming as the main protagonist is going to help any project, especially as he goes from a professor to an NYPD consultant, becoming more and more thrilled with his circumstances and the thought of solving a crime as the show goes on. Instinct is full of twists and turns within its mystery plotline, and it is impossible not to binge-watch the two seasons of the series.
Release Date March 18, 2018
CastAlan Cumming , Bojana Novakovic , Daniel Ings , Michael B. Silver , Danny Mastrogiorgio , Sharon Leal , Naveen Andrews , stephen rider , John Mainieri , Travis Van Winkle , Andrew Polk , Alejandro Hernandez , Whoopi Goldberg , Danny the Beagle , Kristoffe Brodeur , Jay Klaitz , Reshma Shetty , Drew Gehling , Olivia Oguma , Sarita Choudhury , Michael Rady , Rebecca Faulkenberry , Lesli Margherita , John Doman , Rayna Starr , Courtney Gonzalez , George Zouvelos , Whitney Richardson , Bobby Favoretto , Peter Hermann
Main Genre Crime
Creator(s) Michael Rauch
4 ‘James Patterson's Murder Is Forever’ (2018)
Created By James Patterson
Image via Discovery
An anthology horror miniseries created by Patterson in partnership with Stephen David Entertainment, James Patterson's Murder is Forever is a masterpiece that showcases his creative mind and is something fans of the genre, author, and Cross will not want to miss. Each episode dives into a different murder mystery, each based on a true crime taken straight from the headlines.
It is an interesting premise that is also featured in Patterson’s true crime novels, each of which is projected on the small screen in reenactments that keep viewers guessing until the very end of each hour-long episode. While it is no secret that Patterson is creative with a very large imagination, what is striking about this miniseries is that the mind-bending tales are 100% true. The unique and dramatic retellings often come with a roller coaster of emotions, with each episode showcasing a different and horrific crime, such as the stories of Gypsy Blanchard, Bonnie and Jim Wood, and Leo Fisher and Sue Duncan.
James Patterson's Murder Is Forever
Release Date January 22, 2018
Cast Andrew Robertt , Colin Moy , Ingrid Park , Lisa Chappell , Matthew Chamberlain , Charles Pierard , Danielle Mason , Josh McKenzie , Xavier Horan , Benedict Wall , Hannah Marshall , Daniel Watterson , Arlo MacDiarmid , Jack Barry , Ryan Dulieu , Eran Backler , Jon Briddell , Diego Cortinas , Seth Flynn , Ascia Maybury , Rachel Roberts , Erroll Shand , Daniel Sing , Narelle Ahrens , Amanda Billing
Based on Patterson’s popular novel series of the same name, the 2012 film Alex Crossfollows the title character (Tyler Perry) as he dives into an investigation surrounding a serial killer, someone he dubbed the Picasso Killer (Matthew Fox). Alongside his friend Tommy Kane (Edward Burns) and detective Monica Ashe (Rachel Nichols), Cross, a detective and psychologist for the Detroit Police Department, must get inside Picasso’s head before he strikes at his endgame, multinational industrialist Giles Mercier (Jean Reno).
The film is the third installment in the Cross movie series, with Kiss the Girlsand Along Came a Spider first introducing the character to the screen. The crime thriller is a fantastic re-introduction to Cross, with Perry digging into the inner turmoil and violent urges the character has while chasing down serial killers such as Fox’s Picasso. For fans of the TV series Cross, this movie and the others in the film series are great options for those who want another iteration of Patterson’s popular character.
Release Date October 18, 2012
Runtime 101minutes
Writers Marc Moss , Kerry Williamson , James Patterson
Studio(s) Lionsgate
2 ‘Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich’ (2020)
Directed By Lisa Bryant
Image via Netflix
A docu-series based on the 2016 book Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein written by Patterson and co-written by John Connolly and Tim Mallo, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich dives into the story of the wealthy man who used his influence to manipulate others. While the limited series tells Epstein’s story and background, it, more importantly, tells the stories of the survivors, those he used and abused during his running a pyramid scheme out of his Palm Beach mansion and the mountain of evidence that was eventually stacked against him when he got caught.
The Netflix limited series shed light on the lasting impact of Epstein’s crimes and how those with such power believe they are invincible.
The Netflix limited series shed light on the lasting impact of Epstein’s crimes and how those with such power believe they are invincible. Originally, the docu-series was going to be titled The Florida Project in hopes that outside sources wouldn’t get their hands on any of the materials the company was working with in order to create the docu-series. People were even working on a secret server just to ensure nothing would be deleted. It is one of the best limited series that provides educational insight into the crimes and outcomes of Epstein’s influence.
Based on Patterson and Liza Marklund’s 2010 novel The Postcard Killers, the crime film The Postcard Killings features Jeffrey Dean Morganas New York detective Jacob Kanon, who is on a mission to find his daughter’s killer. Murdered on her honeymoon alongside her new husband, Jacob travels to London to identify the bodies. There, he decides to stay abroad and investigate the killer in hopes of finding him and bringing him to justice. Little does Jacob know that the case is going to become so much bigger than he anticipated, as the killer winds up committing the same crime across various European countries. It becomes much bigger than he ever would have guessed.
The premise is very Taken, with a father out for vengeance. Sadly, in this instance, his daughter is already gone and not just taken, and he works alongside a journalist, Dessie (Cush Jumbo), to help him not only find the killer but to figure out what is going on. Suspenseful and entertaining, The Postcard Killings brings viewers into the creative mind of Patterson with a project dedicated to showcasing the complexities of one of his characters and how far a father will go to get revenge. A sequel film was even announced in 2024, titled The Postcard Killer, with Morgan returning to reprise his role.
Release Date March 13, 2020
Runtime 104 minutes
Main Genre Drama
Director Danis Tanovic
Writers Liza Marklund , James Patterson , Andrew Stern
Custom Image by Nimesh Niyomal
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English (US) ·