In the Paramount Pictures film, Chris Pine will play Jack Ryan, the famed character from the Tom Clancy novels. Branagh will be the film's villain, Viktor Stazov, who plans to destroy the U.S. economy. Branagh confirmed his casting at the Television Critics Association presentation in Beverly Hills. Branagh described the movie as "an original story that allows us to understand how Jack Ryan, created by Tom Clancy, develops into a CIA analyst, before joining, and perhaps even joining, the CIA. It’s a very contemporary action thriller, set in the here and now."
Branagh, who directed The Play What I Wrote on Broadway, was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in "My Week With Marilyn." He was also nominated for his work on "Hamlet," "Swan Song" and "Henry V."
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mace Neufeld and David Barron are producing with Skydance's David Ellison as executive producer. The film is currently in preproduction in England.
