Akiva Goldsman to adapt Rainbow Six with Ryan Reynolds in talks to star

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Akiva Goldsman, the man who occupied the big chair in the TRANSFORMERS and Hasbro properties writing rooms, has relocated his Weed Road banner to the Melrose Avenue area in conjunction with a two-year first-look deal at Paramount Pictures. As a part of the arrangement, Goldsman will direct a feature based on DEADPOOL creator Rob Liefeld's comic book character AVENGELYNE. Additionally, Paramount is looking for Goldsman to spearhead the adaptations of two bestselling book series that have major potential to go on as a series.

One of the new projects that Goldman will oversee will be an adaptation of Tom Clancy's RAINBOW SIX, a series of novels that revolve around a mercenary by the name of John Clark. The 1999 novel tells the tale of Ex-Navy SEAL Clark, who in the book is placed in charge of an international task force to combat terrorism. Before long, the team is confronted by a series of international incidents, making the real threat a group of terrorists who're bent on global annihilation. According to Deadline Hollywood, sources close to the RAINBOW SIX project are claiming that loose discussions have taken place with DEADPOOL star Ryan Reynolds for the role of Clark.

In the past, the John Clark character has appeared as a part of the Jack Ryan films CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER and THE SUM OF ALL FEARS. So far, the John Clark character hasn't really gelled with audience members to the studio's desired degree, though Goldsman is hoping to change all of that with his new ideas. If you think about it, this all makes a lot of sense, particularly when you consider that Paramount has already moved their Jack Ryan franchise from the big screen to a TV series starring CHUCK's John Krazinski as the franchise lead. With Ryan on the small screen, Clark would be first in line to present audiences with a more relatable, grounded, and hard-hitting hero for them to enjoy. If RAINBOW SIX proves to be a success, an origin film entitled WITHOUT REMORSE would follow.

As I'd mentioned earlier, RAINBOW SIX won't be the only project headed up by Akiva Goldsman for Paramount. The filmmaker will also play a part in the execution of developing OLOGIES, a massive series of YA novels that Paramount is looking to adapt for the big screen. The book series has nearly 20 installments so far, with each volume designed to read like a textbook that details outrageous fantasy motifs in grounded educational terms. It will then be Goldsman's obligation to organize a writing staff whose job it will be to link all of the books together thematically. Goldsman will produce on both the RAINBOW SIX and OLOGIES projects.

Lastly, Goldsman is looking to develop and direct AVENGELYNE, who, according to both Comicvine and Deadline Hollywood, is an angel of the one true God, Jehovah, known to her and the other angels as the Lord of Hosts. She was created from light, known as the white fire, the source of an angels divine power. Being an angel, she felt no pain or other 'human' senses and endured as long as God would allow it. Avengelyne is a Seraph and belongs to the Warhost, God's warrior angels whose host numbers in the hundreds of thousands.

Once the most feared warrior in heaven’s Warhost team, Avengelyn single-handedly broke into the outer fortress of hell to confront the devil himself, she became a fallen angel, banished from heaven by God after being tricked into questioning his love for humans. After being stripped of all her angelic abilities, other than her great strength and her blood — which, once extracted from her body, could be used as a weapon or a miracle once empowered by quoting verses from the Bible. Avengelyne uses her powers to fight demons on Earth and is being groomed to be humankind’s last hope in a coming Armageddon.

Wow! It sounds as if Akiva Goldsman has his work cut out for him over the next few years. Do any of these projects interest you? Are you ready John Clark to make his way to the forefront? Is Reynolds the man to fill his boots? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.