Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Replaced by Gen-X Version

Fox News ^ | Friday, August 01, 2003 | Roger Friedman

[presidio9]

Was best-selling author Tom Clancy pressured to drop his franchise character from his newest thriller because of ageism?

And is he writing his own books?

The answer to the first question, according to sources, is "yes." Jack Ryan is not the star of "The Teeth of the Tiger," which will be published next week by Putnam. Instead, the hero with the Teeth is John Ryan, Jack's dashing

[KantianBurke]

after the PC release of "Sum of All Fears" alongside Ben Affleck, whatever Clancy interest I once had vanished. Could care less now.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I gave up on Clancy years ago.

[Poohbah]

If there was an actual author, Clancy was being coy about it. And Pieczenik was not that person. "He sent me a novel once and it was not publishable," says one literary agent. The real writer of "Op Center" was Jeff Rovin, who would go on to author 11 "Op Center" novels altogether.

His name, however, doesn't appear until the 7th installment, "Divide and Conquer."

This article sounded plausible...until these two paragraphs.

Jeff Rovin was acknowledged as the ghost writer in the first Op-Center novel, and all subsequent ones. I remember it well because Rovin's use of technobabble is not as facile as Clancy's, and it was painfully obvious that Clancy had not written the book. I checked the Acknowledgements page, and there it was.

The article has at least one major factual inaccuracy. This calls into question the speculative side.

[Poohbah]

after the PC release of "Sum of All Fears" alongside Ben Affleck, whatever Clancy interest I once had vanished. Could care less now.

Once an author sells the rights to a Hollyweird producer, the story is pretty much in the hands of the screenwriter and the producer. And most of these contracts include a clause forbidding the author from bad-mouthing the movie.

[joesnuffy]

Nepotism

[Poohbah]

Nepotism is perfectly all right...as long as it's kept in the family :o)

[Ex-Dem]

John Clark has always been my favorite Clancy character anyhow. Followed by Ding Chavez and the Foleys.

Hunt For Red October and Patriot Games were okay as movies, but Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan in Sum of All Fears didn't work for me at all. In the book, he's older and has a much more senior position in the CIA, so the ending is more plausible than in the movie.

[KantianBurke]

One would think a successful author such as Tom Clancy would be able to influence a film adaption of one of his works. If not then he needs a better agent or should stick to writing books.

[Woahhs]

Who are they trying to kid? Op-Center is PC crap designed to make liberals think they play an important role in defending the country. You can't read ten pages into that nonsense without figuring out "which" of the authors actually did the writing.

Now a Jack Ryan, or John Clark stories come from the one and only.

[presidio9]

The reason Clancy stopped focusing on Ryan is because once he became Vice President his books started reading more like science fiction. A parallel world sort of thing. I think this is a good move for him. He can keep some of the well-developed charachters like Dlark & Chavez, and the Foleys, and Jones & Mancuso without constantly explaining why it is 2006 and Gerorge Bush is not our President.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I gave up on Clancy years ago.

Ditto.

[Dan from Michigan]

Jack Ryan, Jr. could conceivably be played in the next movie by Leonardo DiCaprio, whom Ovitz helped set up with director Martin Scorsese for "Gangs of New York" and "The Aviator

DiCrapio? He's not tough enough.

[HurkinMcGurkin]

Wasn't it rumored once that a movie may be made of "Without Remorse"? I'm sure they would butcher it, though. That is hands down my favorite Clancy book I have read.

[thegreatbeast]

Clancy writes his own books, I'm sure. At least the franchise books, i.e. Red October, Sum of All Fears, etc. It's just that he has become an industry that has to produce product. The video games, the Op Centers are meant to keep the wheels of the Clancy machinery greased and moving.
I really loved Clancy but his views of the FBI and CIA are somewhat dated and Pollyanna-ish.

[wbill]

Sum of all Fears lost me after the nuclear Blast. Affleck / Ryan walking around in a snowstorm of radioactive fallout. No ill effects. No aftereffects.

Hollywood massacred a good book.

And John Clark is by far the best character. Willem Dafoe did a great job with him - perfect casting in the movies.

[jjm2111]

I've heard rumors (third hand) that Clancy is one mean SOB. I don't believe (though I could be wrong) he was ever in the military despite him appearing on the back covers in flight suit and aviator sun glasses.

I loved "Hunt..." "Red Storm Rising" "Patriot Games" etc., but his latest books were not nearly as good.

[katana]

With daughters approaching the teenage years I'm in the market for a good used decompression chamber. One more thing to show to prospective dates.

[Sloth]

I keep hearing that, and I don't buy it. An author can set whatever conditions he wants on the front end. The studio takes it or leaves it.

[Ex-Dem]

I think that unless Clancy himself wants to play a hands-on role in the production of any upcoming movies, he'd better just give it up and stick to writing books/making computer games.
My personal favorite is Cardinal of the Kremlin.