So much for Chris Pine's run as Jack Ryan on the big screen. The character is officially headed to digital content streamer Amazon in series form with THE OFFICE's John Krasinski taking over the role that was also once held by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin. Amazon has given a green light to a 10-episode first season that Paramount, Skydance and Platinum Dunes are co-producing. Carlton Cuse, best known for his time with LOST, and Graham Roland (ALMOST HUMAN) developed the concept together and also co-wrote the script.
JACK RYAN will see Krasinski thrust into the middle of a terrorist threat he manages to uncover after finding a pattern in their communication. Hopefully, this will get the franchise back in the vibe of those early films – THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, PATRIOT GAMES and CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, which made the Ryan character someone worth watching. Certainly since Ford left the role, things have never quite gotten back on that track.
"We’re excited to add the Jack Ryan global franchise to our robust originals pipeline,” Amazon Studios head Roy Price said. “Our customers will enjoy a compelling adaptation of the action-packed spy thriller book series, further raising the bar for the quality level of storytelling that has made Prime Video a leading destination for content.”
It's worth a shot. It can't be any worse than JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT, can it? Plus, TV is the storyteller's medium right now, so there's some bit of hope here for that reason alone.