Are you wondering why, after rebooting the character to moderate success with Sum of All Fears, Paramount just sort of left Jack Ryan to wither in the archives? Well, so is Ben Affleck.
But after a few years trying to get another of technoverbose author Tom Clancy’s creations into theaters, namely gruff mercenary John Clark, the studio has surrendered. There were plans to have him leading the multinational anti-terrorism force Rainbow Six, as well as the John Singleton-directed solo mission Without Remorse, which had Joaquin Phoenix attached to the role. But Clark’s been handed a new assignment: wait indefinitely.
Paramount instead wants a brand new Jack attack, with designs on putting yet another fresh face into the analyst suit previously worn by Affleck, Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford. Giving Clark his walking papers reportedly hasn’t sat well with Singleton, who’s planning to bounce to a new studio once his contractual obligations are finished. But I’d rather see him make Luke Cage anyway.
I wonder where this leaves the peripherally related Splinter Cell, which was also in the works as a feature? It’d be a shame to let that franchise go to waste. Except for all the excellent and extraordinarily lucrative games, of course.