Listen up Tom Clancy fans. There are some Jack Ryan rumblings afoot and, since the fictional government worker has been kept on the benches since Ben Affleck revived him in 2002's "The Sum of All Fears," any news is good news. Variety blogger Anne Thompson spotted an offhand reference in a feature story on The Daily Beast to the character and George Clooney's possible interest in portraying him.
It's all very hazy and unconfirmed, but it's also something that's within the realm of possibility. Unlike the absurd rumor that Johnny Depp is being considered for the role of Michael Jackson in an unannounced biopic. Clooney, ever the smooth talker and stylish gent, couldn't be a better fit for a Jack Ryan revival on the silver screen.
The Daily Beast feature references the Clooney-as-Ryan possibility in -- at best -- an offhand way. In his search for a new "commercial opportunity" to follow up his participation in the "Ocean's" series, a "source" reveals that Clooney "expressed interest in playing Jack Ryan when and if Paramount attempts to revive the Tom Clancy series." Like I said, hazy.
Still, seeing something like this makes me wonder at the possibilities. Affleck's "Fears" was the last Ryan outing, and it was a commercially successful attempt to explore the government operative's earlier years. Prior to Affleck, Harrison Ford took on the character in "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger," in 1992 and 1994 respectively. The first silver screen Ryan was played by Alec Baldwin in "The Hunt for Red October."
Clancy properties have floundered among filmgoers in recent years, but they continue to do brisk business in the video game world. The "Rainbow Six" series continues to perform well with gamers and critics alike while new entries in the "Splinter Cell" and "Ghost Recon" series' continue to be worked on. In the past year, two new Clancy-branded game franchises have been introduced: the action-oriented flight sim "H.A.W.X." and the voice-controlled strategy game "EndWar."
What all this means is that there's still an interest out there in the Clancy brand. Even though Jack Ryan hasn't even seen his own video game, casting a popular dude like Clooney to play him could turn the heads of the sizable -- and ever-growing -- video gaming nation. The actor has a certain "cool" factor to him, enhanced by his good taste in movie roles ("O Brother, Where Art Though?"; "Three Kings"), his frankness (just read what he thinks of his "Batman & Robin" role) and his undeniable charisma. He may not be the "young Ryan" that Affleck was, but Clooney would bring a level of respectability to the role that could completely reinvigorate the franchise.
What do you think of the Clooney-as-Ryan possibility? Would you like to see him follow Affleck, Baldwin and Ford? What Clancy books could you see for an adaptation with Clooney as the star?
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