Raimi, Paramount revive Jack Ryan
Director taking on Clancy character after 'Hell'
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Paramount Pictures is in negotiations with Sam Raimi to spearhead a franchise revival of Jack Ryan, the Tom Clancy-created CIA analyst character who drove four hit movies for the studio.

Raimi would develop and direct a series of films to be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Raimi's Buckaroo Entertainment partner Josh Donen.

The intention is to generate several films Raimi would develop and direct, featuring Ryan at a younger, more formative point in his career than previously depicted. One invention the studio is considering is to set the film in the present, with the action triggered by a global threat.

Par will draft a scribe to write a Ryan movie that Raimi would shoot after he completes the Universal horror film "Drag Me to Hell." Paramount wants the Ryan movie ready for release in summer 2010.

Ryan is the cerebral CIA analyst who climbed the political ladder and became an Everyman action hero star in a quartet of films spearheaded by producer Mace Neufeld. Alec Baldwin originated Ryan in 1990's "The Hunt for Red October" and when Baldwin famously jumped ship to do "A Streetcar Named Desire" on Broadway, Harrison Ford replaced him in 1992's "Patriot Games" and 1994's "Clear and Present Danger." Ben Affleck played Ryan in 2002's "The Sum of All Fears." The four films grossed $781.5 million worldwide.

While Clancy is completing another Ryan novel, the studio hasn't read it and so hasn't decided if it will use the new book or come up with an original story. Paramount controls rights to the Ryan character, and gets first look at the new novel.

Raimi was drawn to the project because he loves the character. The studio was attracted by Raimi's skill in navigating a franchise, following a trio of "Spider-Man" blockbusters. Raimi is by no means out of the running to make more "Spider-Man" films, but he would have to direct the first film after "Drag Me to Hell" for the studio to make its 2010 release date.

Umm...didn't they already try this...and fail...with Ben Affleck?

Ryan ISN'T Jason Bourne. They shouldn't try to depict him as such (although I fear they will).

The Sum of All Fears was pretty successful, about $118 million in the US. I'm not sure why they quit after that one.

So what names will we be hearing for young Jack Ryan? Doesn't Shia LaBeouf's name get mentioned for everything? Jake Gyllenhaal?

Ryan Gosling would be my choice, but he's pretty careful on what roles he takes on.

The Sum of All Fears is the only worthwhile Ryan movie other than The Hunt for Red October.

OK, now that's just rediculous.

Patriot Games is the best one, imo.

What was wrong with the Sum of All Fears? It was pretty good

The movie itself was pretty good, but was cresting the wave of anti-Affleck sentiment.

Not for me...the Ford movies we're the best ones, IMHO. Clear and Present Danger was my favorite of the four flicks.

I lost interest in the films after Patriot Games. Danger and Fears were absolute snoozefests.

I'm sure Raimi will insert some totally random scene where Jack Ryan breaks out into a dance sequence.

Sweet, Bruce Campbell as Jack Ryan!

that is exactly what they seem to be trying to do.

I'd vote for Gosling as well... maybe they should shoot for a trilogy with consistency at least. I have to admit, maybe it's their age but I've lost interest in the other ones... not as serious/intense as Bourne, and not as fun as Bond.

just bring ford back and go on from Debt of Honor

A Jack Ryan reboot, eh? Featuring Harrison Ford as "The President", and Alec Baldwin as the president's evil underling. I like it.

What about... Tobey Maguire as Jack Ryan?

Red October: Classic

Patriot Games: Flawed guilty pleasure. Great Clannad soundtrack.

Clear and Present Danger: Still the best Jack Ryan movie without Sean Connery in it.

Sum of All Fears: Watered down generic action movie. Don't want to offend anyone so we shift the villains from the Middle East to Neo-Nazis?

When the returns for this summer's new INDY movie are in, Paramount may reexamine Ford's box office clout and decide to go with the ol' older Ryan after all.

At least that's my hope...

never read the book, have you?

if they do the ones with the ebola attack and the wars with japan and china as HBO mini-series it would be great. Tom Clancy's books aren't meant to be 120 minute movies

What has that got to do with enjoying the movie? Nothing, that's what.

Yes, we know they changed the order of events in Ryan's life. Yes, we know they changed the villains from Middle Eastern to Neo-Nazi. The fact is that the changes, in spite of it all, worked. The Sum Of All Fears is at least twice as compelling as Patriot Games (where no-one seems to complain about how many changes THAT had from the book), the casting is perfect and the writing is the best since The Hunt For Red October (still my favourite).

Might the film have been better had they not changed several elements from the book? Perhaps. The film is not perfect, after all (the last scene irks me). But, that can be said about any adaptation.

I thought one of his books was made into a mini-series?