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Kenneth Branagh is Playing Jack Ryan's Villain, While Also Directing

by Alex Billington
July 19, 2012
Source: THR

They say the villain is the most important character, this time that has a double meaning. THR's Heat Vision is reporting that award-winning Irish actor/filmmaker Kenneth Branagh, who is already slated to direct Paramount's upcoming Jack Ryan movie, will also be starring in it. We already know that Chris Pine is still attached to play Ryan, the fictional Tom Clancy character seen before on film a number of times. It was also announced back in March that Branagh, coming off of directing Thor and starring in My Week with Marilyn, would be directing the project, taking over for "Lost's" Jack Bender, who was attached just before.

Word from the report is that Kenneth Branagh is now in negotiations to play the villain, a financial "wiz" who helps the Russian government devalue American currency and destroy the US economy, which is a part of the plot of this new movie. The title is supposed to be Moscow, but details have been sketchy, since the project has been going through intensive development at the studio. Apparently Pine wants a character-driven espionage movie, while producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura wants straight-up action, and studio execs want a thriller. Pine will star as Jack Ryan, the ex-Marine turned analyst, played by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck in films past. We'll keep watch as this heads into production, if that ever happens.

Filed under Casting, Hype, Movie News

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