Details on New JACK RYAN FILM Emerge

At a press junket for INVICTUS on Friday, producer Mace Neufield, who has been involved in the Jack Ryan films since 1990’s THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, divulged some details about the forthcoming entry into the franchise.  Thanks to Collider for providing this information.  For one, STAR TREK breakout Chris Pine is confirmed as the fourth man to step into Ryan’s shoes.  He follows Alec Baldwin (who, in my humble opinion, was the best Jack Ryan out there), Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck.

While the new Jack Ryan Film, as yet untitled, will feature a younger lead character, it will not be an origin story.  The origin story, according to Neufield, was already done with THE SUM OF ALL FEARS.  This film, instead, will feature Jack Ryan on Wall Street.

From the Jack Ryan entry on Wikipedia, we get this information that could explain the setting for the new film:

After finishing The Basic School his military career was cut short at the age of 23, when his platoon’s helicopter, a CH-46 Sea Knight, crashed during a NATO exercise over the Greek island of Crete. Ryan’s back was badly injured in the crash. Navy surgeons at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda made inadequate repairs to his back. This led to a lengthy recovery process (during which he was nearly addicted to pain medications) after which, complete with a permanent disability and wearing a back brace, he left the Marine Corps. He passed his stock broker‘s exam and took a position with the Baltimore office of the Wall Street investment firm Merrill Lynch.

This event was briefly spoken about in the film version of THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, and we may very well get the opportunity in the next film to see it.

According to Neufield, the new film is an original screenplay begin written by Adam Koxac with draft work being done by Hassan Amini.  Neufield also went on to talk about how Jack Ryan-centric stories are essentially “thinking man’s thrillers” and that they have never been about the action.

We will be sure to bring more word to you about the new Jack Ryan film as soon as a story is revealed and a director attached.