Among the most memorable characters in Tom Clancy’s writing ouevre has been Jack Ryan, as the character who finds himself wrapped up in political intrigue in any situation has been the focus of eleven books, ten from Clancy and one from Mark Greaney that was authorised by Clancy’s estate. There have also been numerous attempts to bring the character to the big screen, with Alec Baldwin first taking on the role with 1990’s The Hunt For Red October. Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck have also taken on the character before Chris Pine, who most recently stepped into Ryan’s shoes with 2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Now, however, the character is poised to enter a third medium, that of the small screen.
Variety reports that Amazon has picked up a show with Clancy’s character at its core, giving it a series order. Michael Bay is onboard the new series via his production company, while Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland will be overseeing the series, with Cuse making his first jump to Amazon following his involvement in series such as Lost, The Strain, and Bates Motel. Roland, on the other hand, worked with Cuse before on Lost, while also being involved with Fringe and Almost Human. Casting for the series has yet to be announced, and it’s as yet unclear which part of Ryan’s life the series will begin with, as the books span his career from CIA analyst to US President. The show, however, will mark only the second time that an actor has played Ryan multiple times, as Harrison Ford is the only performer to reprise the role in two films.
The Jack Ryan series is set to join NBC’s recently cancelled Hannibal and ABC Family’s upcoming Shadowhunters as series that have gone from novels to the big screen to the small screen. Clancy himself passed away in 2013.
