There’s two massive factors that need to be considered when attempting to look at the wider aspects of the Jack Ryan franchise over at Paramount and which ultimately why, the studio is desperate to get the character back on our screens.
The first being the BOURNE series and the recent ressurection of the 007 franchise has meant that spy thrillers are big business once again. We know this to be true. Just look at today… Warner Bros. have just paid big bucks to get into the spy thriller merry-go-round by acquiring DEAD SPY RUNNING well before it’s due to be published next year.
The second being that INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL made $783 million worldwide and brought back Harrison Ford to the mainstream again. Suddenly, Ford is a goldmine actor and has the potential to be a huge money maker for any tentpole project.
The popularity of the spy genre… the paranoia of the state of the world we live in… and the resurrected name recognition of Harrison Ford means Paramount are itching to push forward with another movie in the 5 year dead Jack Ryan franchise.
There’s no question about it.
They tried to get Sam Raimi on board. They failed. He’s just too in love with the SPIDER-MAN universe he created to leave that baby behind right now.
Now comes word from Moviehole that Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mace Neufeld, the two big name Paramount producers, the latter who started it all back in 1990 with THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER have been re-hired to get this character back on our screens and fast.
Paramount have also abandoned BY ANY MEANS NECCESSARY, the Jack Ryan script which had Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles attached in January and are looking for an original Jack Ryan story.
The lookout is now on for a screenwriter and a concept which most likely can convince Harrison Ford, who will never be too old to play this character, back on our screens as Jack Ryan.
One Comment
They might as well use Clancy’s novel Executive Orders. Jack Ryan’s the president in that story and the bad guys are muslim terrorists in the mid east. Not to mention an economic conspiracy by India and China.
On the other hand if they want a Jack Ryan who’ll be running and gunning they may as well re-boot the franchise totally.
The problem is the Ryan franchise has never been based on action, it was more on espionage. Be interesting to see Ryan provide a less action-oriented take than Bourne or a more cerebral take than the new Bond.