Jack Ryan Returns...Eventually...

"Son, I told you to lay off that 'Bennifer' crap."As the "Bond v. Bourne" debate rages on, Paramount has been trying like Hell to get their own secret-agent back on the silver screen to join the fight. We're of course talking about Tom Clancy's CIA hero Jack Ryan whose gone through about as many face-lifts as Cher. Well, maybe not that much.

Thompson on Hollywood reports the current hold-up appears to be everyone waiting for a script - in this case, from Killshot screenwriter Hossein Amini. The studio (Paramount) along with former WB big-cheese and current Transformers and G.I. Joe producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura are rubbing their palms in anticipation for the first draft of Untitled Tom Clany Project. Nice title - simple and to the point.

Although the details remain sketchy, Thompson noted (via Twitter) that the project looks to be a second reboot to the franchise. The first being the 2002 Ben Affleck/Morgan Freeman/Liev Schreiber headlined Sum of All Fears which despite being profitable never resulted in a sequel. If memory serves me correctly, the plan was to adapt Red Rabbit for Affleck until the studio heads opted out - i.e. "Bennifer" backlash.

And what of those recent "George Clooney as Jack Ryan" rumors? He's certainly eyeing the property, but (like everyone else) is waiting to read said script and see what filmmaker the studio lines up for the project.

Sounds like they're trying to make the character "age ambiguous" until they find their new Jack Ryan.