The "Jack Ryan" series, based on the espionage novels by author Tom Clancy, has been greenlit by Amazon.
"We're excited to add the Jack Ryan global franchise to our robust originals pipeline," said Amazon Studios head Roy Price in a statement, as quoted by Entertainment Weekly. "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."
The series will have 10 episodes, with John Krasinski ("The Office") taking on the role of CIA analyst Jack Ryan, who will be "thrust into a dangerous field assignment for the first time." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series will follow the character as he discovers communications made by terrorists that threaten the world of widespread destruction.
In the books, Jack Ryan has an excellent educational background, having majored in Economics with minor in History. He passed the Certified Public Accountant exam and the stockbrokers' exam, had a short career in the military, but developed a fear of flying because of a helicopter crash that left him injured and a plane crash months later that killed his parents. He subsequently accepted a position in the CIA.
Krasinski will be the first actor to portray Jack Ryan in a series, although Clancy's character was previously portrayed on the big screen by four big-named Hollywood actors, namely: Alec Baldwin in the 1990 film adaptation of "The Hunt for Red October"; Harrison Ford in 1992 and 1994 for "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger"; Ben Affleck in 2002 for "The Sum of All Fears"; and Chris Pine in the 2014 movie "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit."
The show is under Paramount Television and Skydance Television and, according to THR, will be executive produced by Michael Bay along with Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, Dana Goldberg, Marcy Ross, and David Ellison. It was developed and written by Graham Roland ("Almost Human") and Carlton Cuse ("Bates Motel").
"Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" will be made available to Amazon Prime subscribers but the release date has yet to be announced.
