Variety reports John Krasinski, best known from his role as Jim on NBC’s The Office, will play the lead role in a new series focusing on Tom Clancy’s iconic CIA agent Jack Ryan.
The ten-episode debut season of the hourlong action drama will focus on the early days of Ryan’s career as a CIA analyst. According to Variety, Ryan “uncovers a pattern in terrorist communication that launches him into the center of a dangerous gambit with a new breed of terrorism that threatens destruction on a global scale.”
At first glance, Krasinski seems an unusual choice given his numerous comedy roles, though he recently appeared as a former Navy SEAL in Michael Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. The character has previously been played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine. Jack Ryan’s most recent outing came in 2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, starring Pine.
“We’re excited to add the Jack Ryan global franchise to our robust originals pipeline,” said Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios, in a deflating reminder that all intellectual property must now be set in the context of a franchise or “universe. “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.”
Jack Ryan comes as part of Amazon’s effort to expand its original series offerings on the heels of critical and popular successes like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle and Mozart in the Jungle.
Amazon has not yet revealed a release date for the series, which will shoot in locations throughout Europe, the U.S. and Africa.
Will you watch Jack Ryan? What do you think of Krasinski’s casting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
