Variety has learned that "Jack Reacher 2" is in the process of adding another actor to its cast. Aldis Hodge, who portrayed MC Ren in "Straight Outta Compton," is in talks to join the Tom Cruise vehicle in an unspecified role.

The N.W.A. biopic has earned $181 million worldwide since opening one month ago, and that film's success is seen by Variety as leading Hodge to join the high profile sequel. If talks go through, he'll join Cruise and possibly Cobie Smulders in the sequel to the 2012 action thriller.

Ed Zwick, who previously worked with Cruise on "The Last Samurai," is on board to direct. The screenplay comes from "Last Samurai" screenwriters Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, who provided a rewrite of Richard Wenk's original script. The film will be based on author Lee Child's 18th Jack Reacher novel, "Never Go Back," which finds Cruise's character deals with the surprise arrest of his one-time commanding officer.

Paramount is targeting production to begin in November for a late-2016 release.