For the director, see Morgan J. Freeman

Freeman at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
In 2001, Freeman reprised his role of Alex Cross in Along Came a Spider, a sequel to 1997’s Kiss the Girls. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews.[77] Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today observed that “Freeman strides with noble authority” but thought the overall film was unmemorable.[78] In 2002, Freeman was cast opposite Ben Affleck in the spy thriller The Sum of All Fears. It is based on Tom Clancy’s 1991 novel of the same name, about a plot by an Austrian Neo-Nazi to trigger a nuclear war between the United States and Russia, so that he can establish a fascist superstate in Europe. The Sum of All Fears received moderate reviews,[79] but was a commercial success, grossing $193.9 million worldwide.[80] Next, Freeman starred alongside Ashley Judd and Jim Caviezel in High Crimes (2002), a legal thriller based on Joseph Finder’s 1998 novel of the same name. The story follows lawyer Claire (Judd), whose husband (Caviezel) is arrested and placed on trial for the murder of villagers while he was in the Marines. Although several critics were unimpressed with the story, they credited Freeman and Judd for their chemistry and performances.[81][82] In 2003, Freeman appeared as God in the hit comedy Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston.[83]