attempting to free himself, Ruskin pulls the oven away from the wall, rupturing the gas pipe. Ruskin takes out a lighter, threatening to cause an explosion due to the leaking gas. Cross shows up and tries to discourage Ruskin. When this fails, Cross shoots Ruskin, firing through a milk carton to avoid igniting the gas. Cross comforts Kate as the police arrive. Cast Morgan Freeman as Dr. / Detective Alex Cross Ashley Judd as Dr. Kate McTiernan Cary Elwes as Detective Nick Ruskin Alex McArthur as Detective Davey Sikes Bill Nunn as Detective John Sampson Jeremy Piven as Detective Henry Castillo Brian Cox as Chief Hatfield Jay O. Sanders as FBI Agent Kyle Craig Tony Goldwyn as Dr. William Rudolph William Converse-Roberts as Dr. Wick Sachs Roma Maffia as Dr. Ruocco Richard T. Jones as Seth Samuel Gina Ravera as Naomi Cross Heidi Schanz as Megan Murphy Tatyana Ali as Janelle Cross Mena Suvari as Coty Pierce Anna Maria Horsford as Vickie Cross Helen Martin as Nana Maybellene Cross Production Filming Principal photography began on April 16, 1996. The film was shot two weeks on location in North Carolina on the streets of Durham, in nearby county parks, and outside a Chapel Hill, North Carolina residence. The police station was constructed in a downtown Durham warehouse. The majority of filming occurred in the Los Angeles area, with locations including the Disney Ranch, The Athenaeum at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, a house in the Adams historic district of Los Angeles, and on the campus of the University of Southern California in University Park. Designed by American production designer Nelson Coates, the majority of the sets, including the tunnels and underground chambers, were constructed in sound stages on the Paramount Studios lot. Filming was completed on July 10. Release The film premiered at the Deauville Film Festival in September 1997 before opening on 2,271 screens in the US the following month. It earned $13,215,167 in its opening weekend and a total of $60,527,873 in the US, ranking #30 in domestic revenue for the year. The film was not shown in some theaters in central Virginia at the time of release, due to the unsolved murders of three teenage girls in the area. This decision was out of respect for the families and surrounding communities. The murders were eventually solved and attributed to Richard Evonitz. Reception Critical reception The