Behind The Scenes: Kenneth Branagh Directs Kevin Costner On The Set Of JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT

Before John Krasinski took on the role, Chris Pine followed in the footsteps of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck and played Tom Clancy’s hero in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Kenneth Branagh’s 2014 film rebooted the franchise, ditching Clancy’s source material to deliver a high octane thriller.

Shadow Recruit ticks all the right boxes, and the film is a throwback to Hollywood thrillers of the ‘90s (while also tipping its hat to some ‘70s-style paranoia). Pine’s Ryan is still more desk jockey than action man. Pine brings the right amount of all-American hero to the character – he’s more boy-scout than Baldwin, an eager Beaver who wants to serve his country.

The stand-out supporting character in the film is Kevin Costner’s William Harper, Ryan’s handler and unlike his protégé, he’s more used to action. Costner shines in the role and we get to see why he’s such a great movie star – and why producer Mace Neufeld originally wanted him to portray Ryan in The Hunt For Red October.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit under-performed at the box office, grossing $50.5 million in the US and $135 million globally.