The author behind Clint Eastwood’s final action thriller Blood Work disliked the adaptation so much that his character met a swift end in the books. At the height of his stardom, Clint Eastwood movies used to ping back and forth between passion projects and crowd-pleasing blockbusters. For instance, Clint followed his 1990 period drama White Hunter Black Heart with the explosion-filled buddy cop movie The Rookie. The latter would prove to be one of the last times he did such a physically intensive action role, and throughout the decade the star began to step back from such parts.
Clint’s 2002 thriller Blood Work is his last action part, and it’s easy to see what he saw in the material. The story follows former FBI Agent Terry McCaleb, who retires after suffering a heart attack while chasing a killer. Terry later learns he received his new heart from one of the killer’s victims, and sets out to bring her murderer to justice. Blood Work is more of a thriller than a straight-ahead action flick, though Eastwood still peppers shootouts and chases in there; the film also smartly makes the McCaleb’s age a feature instead of a flaw.
Blood Work Author Michael Connolly Hated Clint Eastwood’s Adaptation
Blood Work was nobody’s favorite thriller of 2002
Blood Work proved to be a box-office dud, grossing $31 million worldwide on a reported budget of $50 million (via Box Office Mojo). The reviews weren’t great either, with the film earning a tepid 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. In truth, it’s one of Eastwood’s weakest films and while not terrible, it never rises above mediocre. One person who did not care for Blood Work was Michael Connolly, who penned the 1998 novel of the same name.
The author sounded excited about the adaptation prior to its release, despite concerns that Eastwood was much older than the book’s version of Terry McCaleb. In the years since, Connolly has been honest about his feelings toward Blood Work, admitting to The Independent in 2004 that he felt the film was “duff,” but that it at least “… made people read the books.” When discussing the then-upcoming adaptation o The Lincoln Lawyer in 2010 with Crime Watch, Connolly was even more direct.
I’m not just this guy who’s trying to promote a movie that’s bad, I wouldn’t do that. I didn’t do that for Blood Work, and if [The Lincoln Lawyer] when it’s all put together is bad, I will stay away from it.
Eastwood’s Terry McCaleb Was Killed Off In Connolly’s Sequel Novel
Terry McCaleb was dropped from Michael Connolly’s rotation of characters
It’s interesting to note that after the release of Blood Work, Connolly killed McCaleb off in 2004’s The Narrows, with Bosch investigating the circumstances behind his old friend’s death.
Connolly has several recurring novel characters, including detective Harry Bosch and “Lincoln Lawyer” Mickey Haller. For a brief period, it seemed Terry McCaleb would become a recurring Connolly character too, following his debut in 1998’s Blood Work. McCaleb and Bosch would later team up for a case in A Darkness More Than Night. It’s interesting to note then that after Eastwood’s Blood Work, Connolly killed McCaleb off in 2004’s The Narrows, with Bosch investigating the circumstances behind his old friend’s death.
Connolly has stated that McCaleb was killed off because he couldn’t think up another story for the character, though his response to the Eastwood movie likely played a role too. The Narrows also takes some playful jabs at the adaptation, which exists within Connolly’s fictional world. Eastwood is said to have attended McCaleb’s funeral and the latter’s friend Buddy (played by Jeff Daniels in the 2002 film), is deeply unhappy with Blood Work reworking the plot to make him the killer.
Blood Work Became Clint Eastwood’s Final Action Role
No, Gran Torino doesn’t count
Despite largely stepping away from acting in the early 2000s, there were still reports that a possible Dirty Harry 6 could happen. Of course, that never came to pass, and if Blood Work proved anything, it was that the Hollywood icon was aging out of his niche of playing law enforcement characters who take the law into their own hands. In reality, the mandatory retirement age for an FBI Agent is 57, yet Eastwood was in his early 70s when he played McCaleb.
Again, Blood Work wisely used McCaleb’s declining health as a plot point, and the action he’s required to do never stretches credulity. Even so, the film only confirmed it was time for the star to focus on directing instead of playing roles that required shootouts or fistfights. He followed Blood Work with the acclaimed Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and many more. His next film Juror No. 2 will star Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette, and wrapped filming in early 2024.
Connolly is more creatively involved in the Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer shows, having been left out of the loop on Blood Work. Still, Terry McCaleb has yet to appear in either show, apparently due to the character having been used by Warner Bros for Blood Work. This is a pity since McCaleb is a real fan favorite among the author’s readers.