Chris Pine Could Be The Next Jack Ryan

Published on October 14, 2009 by Craig Sharp · View Comments

ChrisPine Chris Pine is hot stuff in Hollywood right now without a doubt, after his turn as iconic Starship Captain, James T. Kirk in this year’s Star Trek, and the young actor seems to have writers, directors and producers falling at his feet.

So it should come as no surprise to FilmShaft readers that Paramount Pictures are in negotiations with Pine to play the part of CIA analyst Jack Ryan, in a reboot of the series based on the Tom Clancy stories.

The character of Jack Ryan has had a rocky Hollywood career at best. Should the deal go through, Chris Pine will join a who’s who of Hollywood actors who have previously brought the character to the big screen – Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) and Ben Affleck (The Sum of All Fears).

According to Variety, talks are in the early stages but it is expected that Pine will sign on the dotted line soon. The trade magazine have also mentioned the possibility that the first Ryan film in more than six years could be an entirely original script, stating:

The studio and producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mace Neufeld are working with a script draft by Hossein Amini, based on an original concept.

They are still in deep development and it is unclear whether Pine would make another “Star Trek” before the Jack Ryan film. He will clearly be working often for Paramount over the next several years.

Pine, currently starring with Denzel Washington in the Tony Scott-directed “Unstoppable” for Fox, is vying to be the fourth actor to play Ryan, the CIA analyst in the Par film series.

I have to say that I was pretty keen on George Clooney when he voiced his interest waay back in July. However Pine would make an ideal candidate for a younger take on the popular character, one which has the potential to mimic the success of the Bourne series.