Werner Herzog Is Tom Cruise's 'One Shot' Nemesis

In what's probably the most surprising casting news in a while, it appears that famous documentarian Werner Herzog has been cast in the upcoming Tom Cruise vehicle, "One Shot," based on the Lee Child novel of the same name. Herzog will play The Zec, a former prisoner of war and the head of the conspiracy behind the murders Cruise will investigate, reports Variety. Since the casting of Tom Cruise as Child's iconic character, Jack Reacher, in the adaptation of "One Shot," many people have questioned the casting choice and the integrity of the film as a whole. Lee describes Reacher as a hulking presence, a far cry from the much shorter Cruise. For a movie that's faced little else besides negative press, news of Herzog joining the cast should inject much needed life into the hype machine. Those who are familiar with the German auteur know the kind of strangeness Herzog can bring to the table. Famous for the documentaries he narrates himself—like the great "Grizzly Man"—Herzog with his oddly beautiful German accent (think of a cross between Schwarzenegger and Morgan Freeman; indeed, it inspired Hugo Weaving's "Captain America" voice!) is the most inspired choice to play a movie villain in quite some time. If people won't fill the theater to see a shorter Jack Reacher, a great baddie could definitely get more people interested. Herzog joins a cast that already includes Robert Duvall, Rosamund Pike and Richard Jenkins. This is all welcome news, but for my money, I'd pay to see Tom Cruise face off with just the disembodied voice of Werner Herzog. Tell us what you think of the Herzog news in the comments section and on Twitter!