This is my favorite movie news in months. I am a huge Tom Clancy fan (even though he hasn’t released a good book since Debt of Honor) and always love seeing how Hollywood adapts his work. So far, his track record is pretty terrific because even when the films aren’t great (Patriot Games the book should have made for a perfect film) they’re still highly watchable bits of mainstream entertainment.
And though some geeks fight it, everyone’s diet needs a little of that right down the middle mainstream stuff. Muscular and straightforward stuff that may not challenge you but it damn sure keeps you entertained for a few hours. That said, I’d argue that The Hunt for Red October transcends that. That’s a film for the ages.
Without Remorse may be my favorite Clancy book and easily one of his most filmable. It is a John Kelly/John Clark book that takes place before the bulk of the Jack Ryan material so it’s not as easily part of the Clancy ‘brand’ until you realize what a vital component to the entire canon John Clark is. We saw him teased by Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber in the films but Without Remorse (and of there’s a Heaven Rainbow Six) represents a film where the great character would be given a chance to shine.
The Vulture reports that Shawn Ryan is going to adapt the early and delightful Clancy book with the Vulvan Roberto Orci and his co-creator Alex Kurtzman. Those guys have some hits under their belt and between The Shield and the extremely applicable The Unit, Ryan is a great choice for the character. The project was stalled a few times over the past two decades and I distinctly remember a Savoy Pictures incarnation starring Gary Sinise being threatened. That would have been terror.
John Clark (Kelly in this story) is an amazing character and this intimate and vicious little story will make for a great flick. I think they’ve started on the right foot and only hope that if they cast it, they cast it well. I’ll have some suggestions on that once a director is found.
Source: Vulture.