Amazon has finally pulled the plug on its Jack Ryan TV series after four seasons of John Krasinski running around in nice suits, looking mildly concerned about global security. But don’t worry, the Jack Ryan Cinematic Universe (yes, that’s now a thing) is back with a vengeance in the form of a new movie called Jack Ryan: Ghost War. Because nothing says “Tom Clancy thriller” like a title that sounds like it belongs in the bargain bin at Spirit Halloween.
The film, which will stream on Prime Video because of course it will, brings back Krasinski as the titular CIA analyst-turned-action-hero. He’s also co-writing this time, so expect lots of scenes where Jack Ryan stares intensely at computer screens and mutters things like, “The intel doesn’t add up.” Andrew Bernstein directs, which means we’re guaranteed at least one dramatic helicopter shot over a vaguely European city.
Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly are back as James Greer and Mike November, respectively, because if there’s one thing audiences love, it’s middle-aged men exchanging terse dialogue in dimly lit CIA offices. The big new addition is Sienna Miller as MI6 officer Emma Marlowe, who will presumably roll her eyes every time Jack Ryan tries to explain American exceptionalism to her.
Here’s the first trailer, which features exactly what you’d expect: explosions, tense phone calls, and Krasinski looking like he’s about to apologize for the inconvenience of having to save the world.
Apparently if there’s something strange in your neighborhood, and it don’t look good, you don’t call the Ghostbusters, you call Jack Ryan. He’s the guy who handles the ghost wars. (For ghost busting, obviously that’s more of a Ghostbuster type job.)
Here is Jack Ryan: Ghost War’s synopsis, which reads like it was generated by an AI that watched too many spy movies:
In this new film, Jack Ryan is reluctantly thrust back into the world of espionage when an international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy, forcing him to confront a rogue black-ops unit, and the clock is ticking. Operating in real time with lives on the line and the threat escalating at every turn, Jack reunites with battle-tested CIA operative Mike November (Michael Kelly) and former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce), their combined experience the only edge they have against an enemy who knows their every move. Backed by an unlikely new partner – razor-sharp MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller) – Jack and the team navigate a treacherous web of betrayal, facing a past they thought was long put to rest – making this the most personal, high-stakes mission any of them have ever faced.
Wow, sounds like someone’s been watching a lot of Mission: Impossible. But hey, at least we know what we’re getting: explosions, double-crosses, and Krasinski looking mildly constipated while trying to defuse a bomb. What more could you want?
Jack Ryan: Ghost War premieres on Prime Video on May 20. Mark your calendars, or don’t—Amazon will probably recommend it to you anyway after you fall asleep watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for the third time.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
