Jack Ryan is back. That’s the plan that Paramount Pictures has in mind with Sam Raimi in negotiations to spearhead a new franchise.
The Ryan character is a CIA analyst created by author Tom Clancy. He has previously been portrayed by Alec Baldwin in 1990’s The Hunt for Red October, Harrison Ford in 1992’s Patriot Games and 1994’s Clear and Present Danger and by Ben Affleck in 2002’s The Sum of All Fears.
Paramount’s plan, says Variety, is to see Raimi develop and direct several films with Ryan at a younger, more formative point in his career than has previously been examined. One scenario would set the next film in the present day with the action triggered by a global threat.
Raimi would direct the first Ryan film after he finishes with his upcoming horror film Drag Me to Hell starring Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard) and Alison Lohman (Things We Lost in the Fire) who recently replaced Ellen Page when the latter backed out due to scheduling conflicts.
The film is being slated for a summer 2010 release.
Raimi was drawn to the project because he loves the character, writes Variety. The studio was attracted by Raimi‘s skill in navigating a franchise, following the trio of Spider-Man blockbusters.
