Variety is reporting that Paramount is actively seeking to reboot the Jack Ryan franchise and in discussions with new acting sensation Chris Pine. Pine of course is the face of another of Paramount’s tent-pole franchises, Star Trek and recently breathed new life in the character of James Tiberius Kirk.
Jack Ryan is of course Tom Clancy’s main protagonist and has appeared in 12 of the best-selling authors novels. Previous screen outings have seen Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger) and most recently Ben Affleck (The Sum of All Fears) take up the role. My personal favourite is Ford in Clear and Present Danger but I thought that Affleck was more than adequate in the underrated The Sum of All Fears. Recent names linked with the role have included Ford again, Ryan Gosling and George Clooney.
I think younger is good if they’re going back to his earlier days but that Ford would be perfect for Debt of Honour and Executive Orders, novels in which Ryan is pushed to the forefront of political life. Apparently the next movie will not be based on one of Tom Clancy’s works but rather an original story and script is being worked on. No word on potential directors or start dates but I would love to see Liev Schreiber back as John Clark and perhaps in the directors chair too. His adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Everything Is Illuminated showed great potential.