George Clooney Not The Next Jack Ryan

A month ago it was reported that actor George Clooney had voiced his interest in playing CIA agent Jack Ryan, the character last portrayed by Ben Affleck in “The Sum of All Fears,” and previously by Hollywood heavyweights Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin.

The trouble is, it was common knowledge that Paramount were trying to reboot their Jack Ryan character, created by Tom Clancy, using a much younger incarnation. Well since the announcement MTV had the opportunity to sit down with “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and had the chance to ask him for an update on the project:

Di Bonaventura had just two words for the actor: “Sorry George.”

Di Bonaventura actually went into a bit more detail than that. Clooney may be out, but there is progress on Jack Ryan. “We submitted a script to Paramount recently,” the producer said. “It was well-received and it’s in the process.”

Clooney being out isn’t anything personal; he just won’t fit the part. “It’s for a young Jack Ryan. I love George, but it’s not written for a man of his age. It’s written for a guy in his early 30s.”

Personally I like the idea of an older Jack Ryan, but should the right actor be cast there’s no doubt that the character can carry off experience and grit whatever age they write him in. Whatever is happening with the project, di Bonaventura is quite obviously excited about the project:

“It’s a great character. Very different [from] Bond or Bourne. It’s the analytical side of him and the everyman side of him that makes him… special.”

Source: MTV