Some of you might be wondering who Jack Ryan is, exactly, and why George Clooney wants to play him. Valid questions, since Mr. Ryan has been out of the cinematic loop for awhile now, but for those who don't know (or don't remember), Jack Ryan is the name of the main character in all those films (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of All Fears) that were based on Tom Clancy's famous series of novels.
We've known for awhile that Paramount wanted to revive the film franchise with a new actor in the lead role. Previously, Jack Ryan had been played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck – and while rumor had it that the studio wanted to go younger with the role and sort of reboot the entire thing (with either Ryan Gosling or James Franco), now sources over at The Daily Beast are saying that Clooney expressed interest in the role if the studio were to revive it.
Not much to go on, but it's something – and if they're looking for a hip, smart, weathered version of Ryan – someone between Baldwin and Ford – then Clooney would be perfect for the part. That is, unless they want to go a little more Bourne-esque with the whole thing, then they'd probably need someone a bit younger. What do you think? Any Clancy fans out there? Do you remember these films? Would Clooney make a good Jack Ryan?
