A couple of years back Paramount was developing Tom Clancy's "Red Rabbit" into a movie, making it the fifth film revolving around Clancy's heroic character Jack Ryan. Since then of course various things have happened which put a crimp on those plans.
Still at one time the first actor to play the role of Ryan, Alec Baldwin in the series best film "The Hunt for Red October", was rumoured to be in talks to be playing a role in the film opposite Ben Affleck in the Ryan role.
Now the other week came news that the new regime at Paramount wanted to continue its film franchise with the character but utilising a new story that would NOT be based on one of Clancy's books.
Well this weekend The IESB reported that things may have come full circle with Alec Baldwin apparently meeting with the studio last week to discuss the movie and potentially returning to the Ryan role.
The move would mark an interesting shift for the franchise in which Ryan's age range has varied quite dramatically. Baldwin was 32 in 'October', and turns 48 this year.
Some may consider it too old for the role, but Harrison Ford was 49 and 51 years old when he took over the part in 1992's "Patriot Games" and 1994's "Clear and Present Danger".
Adding to that the complication of the fourth film "The Sum of All Fears" which essentially 'rebooted' the franchise ala "Batman Begins" and "Casino Royale", with the then 30-year-old Ben Affleck.
If Baldwin were to play Ryan it would essentially be pressing the 'reset' button again. Subsequent books in the series featured Ryan as the U.S. President but the film's never got anywhere that far events wise.
Chronologically the next book in the series is "Debt of Honor" which many consider unfilmable as the ending involves the terrorist hijacking of a passenger jet which is then crashed into the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. during a joint session of Congress.
