Atwell, Davalos and Pike may take 'One Shot' at Tom Cruise

Hayley Atwell

Paramount has shortlisted the actresses in contention to be Tom Cruise's leading lady in the adaptation of Jack Reacher novel "One Shot."

 According to Heat Vision, the actresses in the running are Hayley Atwell ("Captain America: The First Avenger," "The Duchess"), Alexa Davalos ("Clash of the Titans," "The Chronicles of Riddick") and Rosamund Pike ("Made in Dagenham," "Die Another Day"). The role is "a tough lawyer and daughter of the district attorney."

Rosamund Pike

"One Shot" is one of 15 Lee Child novels featuring Jack Reacher, a drifting former military police officer traveling the country and getting involved in a variety of adventures. Cruise is physically nothing like the character of  Reacher, who is described as 6'5", 220 to 250 and having dirty blond hair.

Reacher first appeared in 1997's "Killing Floor." "One Shot" is his ninth book, published in 2005.

Alexa Davalos

In "One Shot," Reacher investigates a case involving a sniper accused of killing five people. He quickly realizes this isn't the open and shut case everyone else is making it out to be.

 Christopher McQuarrie will write and direct the adaptation. Although his only directing credit to date is 2000's "The Way of the Gun," his writing resume includes "The Usual Suspects," "Valkyrie" (which starred Cruise) and the forthcoming "Jack the Giant Killer."