It’s been seven years since Tom Clancy’s legendary character Jack Ryan was last seen on screen, and many thought Ben Affleck’s rendition in The Sum of All Fears put the final nail in a once powerful franchise. But according to producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, a Jack Ryan resurrection is in the works – and it won’t (contrary to Internet fodder) be George Clooney playing the suave government official. Why not? He’s too old.
Di Bonaventura told MTV.com this week that a script has been submitted to Paramount, the studio that owns the franchise, and that it was “well-received,” but the story follows Ryan in his early 30s. Now you may be saying, “Isn’t the younger Ryan what got this franchise in trouble in the first place?” Well, let’s recap.
After building a powerful cloak-and-dagger franchise in the early ’90s off the popular Clancy novels portraying an older Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (Alec Baldwin), Patriot Games (Harrison Ford), and Clear and Present Danger (Ford again), 2002’s The Sum of All Fears featured Affleck’s Ryan as a wet-behind-the-ears CIA analyst. Though the film did have the highest opening weekend gross for the franchise ($31 mil), with lackluster reviews Fears ended up being its second lowest domestic grossing film (only Patriot Games did worse).
It’s more likely it wasn’t the age of Ryan that dissuaded audiences but that Fears was a victim to the post-9/11 period when audiences didn’t want to see terrorist-related films. We certainly seem to be past that now, however, with the successful relaunch of the Bond franchise and all the Bourne films.
So who would you want to see play an early 30s Jack Ryan? Internet rumors have James Franco and Ryan Gosling in talks. Worthy candidates, but how about someone a little more under the radar…
Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The (500) Days of Summer star (he’ll be 29 next year, but who’s counting) definitely has the looks, but what draws us to him is the intensity he would bring to the character (go watch him in Manic, Mysterious Skin, and Brick). For a franchise that needs a shot in the arm – and an actor they might want to potentially lock down for a sequel – he certainly has the goods.
So, PopWatchers, who do you want to see as the next Jack Ryan? Take our poll and then explain yourself in the comments.
Comments (1-15) of 101 Add your comment
Maybe Wentworth Miller?
jamie bamber would be perfect, but choosing from the list above I’d pick Ryan Gosling. Joseph G-L looks too young and boyish in my opinion. wentworth miller wouldn’t be a bad choice either.
Wow! Jamie Bamber wouldn’t have crossed my mind, but now that you’ve said it, I couldn’t agree more! Good thinking!
I would like Ben Affleck to do the sequels like Harrison Ford. He is tall, very handsome and a talented actor.
How about he directs?! That’d be an interesting plan. A man with a close connection with the character and experience with directing gritty, dialogue heavy, thinking man’s movies. Affleck is a MUCH better director than actor.
I’m down with Wentworth Miller. He can pull off intense. Otherwise maybe Bradley Cooper, Joe Flanigan, or Josh Duhamel.
Someone who I think could be really good would be Christopher Egan who played David on “Kings”.
I know he’s forty but I would like to see Nikolaj Coster Waldau (New Amsterdam) to play Jack Ryan.
Levitt doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who could be tough if needed.
I agree with you on Bradley Cooper, he was reportedly screwed over with the Green Lantern movie so this could be the franchise that finally get’s him only his name read in commercial’s for his film’s without mentioning The Hangover, but also how about Eric Szmanda from CSI:? If they’re looking for someone who can play a greenhorn in a business he is your man, the exposure with the show could help ease producer’s fears about his popularity.
well-
since the character seems to be aging backwards & younger with each film….
how about Benjamin Button!
Uh, you know Baldwin was something like 32 when he played Ryan, Affleck was 30. That’s not a huge difference.
James Caviezel would be my choice. has the acting chops, physical presence.
Good choice. But I’d like to see him on Ture Blood myself.
Since Jack Ryan represents a bloated, irrelevant icon of a politically reactionary age and manner of thinking that I’d like nothing more than to see us evolve beyond, I vote that they get Steven Seagal to play him. That way the next several Clancy movies can be straight-to-video, Mob-financed disasters which will be justly forgotten, exactly as they deserve to be.
I’m gonna take you to the bank, Senator Trent… to the blood bank.
I second that Anne….Wentworth Miller!
Jamie Bamber
JENSEN ACKLES!!!
Ew. No.
Yea Jensen Ackles is hot he was on Days of our Lives. So how about looking at some of the hot males leads on the soaps (my favs General Hospital & OLTL) On General Hospital the actor who plays Lucky. Soap actors are great plus most are gorgeous.
Jenson was on Days of Our Lives. Speaking of Soaps y not look at some of them. My favs General Hospital & OLTL have the most gorgeous guys and they r great actors. How about the actor that plays Lucky on GH. He is absolutely gorgeous plus really good actor.
Jamie Bamber would be great!! Also, Ryan Reynolds would be a fantastic Jack Ryan especially if you have read the books and understand what age he is in the different tales.
Jon Hamm’s only 38… If we’re going way young, Ryan would be the best of the lot up there.
Sam Worthington
If they don’t make 15 more Star Trek movies, I think Chris Pine would work. Some of the others just don’t look like a “Jack Ryan”.
Ooooh, I like this idea….