Next Tom Clancy Movie - Without Remorse?

[joeranger]

Clancy novels are so good, they should not be made into movies unless done well. Red October was great, Patriot Games so-so, Clear and Present Danger was Hollywood tripe.
I just re-read Without Remorse and heard it might be a movie.
I was surprised that there were no Hits on Tom Clancy here.
Anyone else have an opinion on his movies.

 

[firesprite]

I just finished reading my first Clancy novel not that long ago, in the form of Rainbow Six. It's not common that I can be kept guessing that much, but he really hooked me in and had me wondering what was going to happen next.

 

[Solo4114]

Without Remorse is the one about Clark, right? (Well, Kelly, at that point, I think.) I think it'd make a fantastic revenge movie, but I don't know if should be made into a film. I think the problem with it is that it's part of Clancy's "Ryanverse" but not in a way that Hollywood would know what to do with it. They don't really have an established series at this point, aside from the Baldwin/Ford series, and that one-off with Affleck when they tried (and failed) to reboot the series. But I'm not sure you can divorce the "Ryanverse" elements from the story and still have it work. I dunno. It might work if they renamed everyone, but it wouldn't really work as part of a series. And knowing Hollywood, they'd want to somehow shoehorn Jack Ryan into the film since people know his name.

 

[Scottieboy]

Haven't read "Without Remorse" so don't know the story on that one, but have enjoyed all of my journeys into Clancy's Jack Ryan series (even when that character is barely involved).

Some of the paperbacks may look a little heavy for the daily commute @ circa 1,400 pages (UK versions) but the stories move with such pace you don't even notice (as with many films of the book, the extra details from the written word often make a more enjoyable experience compared to the 2hr Bockbuster)

Really enjoyed

Bear & the Dragon
Debt of Honour
Red Rabbit
Rainbow Six

Will probably revisit the series and read in sequence at some point in the future, you gain a little extra depth about the recurring characters in the different novels, but the stories work as stand alone thrillers in there own right.

Would no doubt venture to the Multiplex if this one makes it to production.

 

[BDK]

I loved Without Remorse, would be nice to see it made into a feature film. The nice thing is it could be totally stand alone, Jack is only in one scene as a child so it could even be used as a re-set if Hollywood ever decided to remake the ones they already have.

 

[SmilingOtter]

Agreed that Without Remorse would make a great film. As would Rainbow Six. As much as I loved Executive Orders, that would be a lot to put into a single film.

 

[Jedi2016]

Yeah, but if they cast the wrong guy as Kelly, it's going to suck hard.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I just finished reading my first Clancy novel not that long ago, in the form of Rainbow Six. It's not common that I can be kept guessing that much, but he really hooked me in and had me wondering what was going to happen next.

I was never a Tom Clancy fan until I read Rainbow Six. If they could do that as a movie I would go nuts. I know some of the characters were in the Jask Ryan movies, but it's not the same. Besides I didn't think Willem Dafoe was right for Clark. At least not how I pictured him. Chavez was dead on pretty much. I think that movie would really work right now with the war on terror going on.

 

[SmilingOtter]

I hadn't read any of the books with Clark in them when I saw Clear and Present Danger, so Dafoe was the first Clark I knew, so I'm alright with him. I could definitely see him as the older Clark in a Rainbow Six movie.

Liev Shreiber wasn't horrible in Sum of All Fears, and could probably pull off Without Remorse well enough. The biggest mistake in SoAF was putting it at the beginning of Ryan's career. He should have been Deputy Director of the CIA.

 

[SVTStingRay]

i really wish they would make a movie on red storm rising. maybe a series of movies or a mini-series. that would be awesome.
without remorse would deffinately be a step in the right direction.

 

[SG-RB]

I'll second the vote on Red Storm Rising as a movie or better yet as a mini series. I've read the book several times and it never gets old. I liked Without Remorse, especially using Spec-Ops tactics against street thugs!

Randy in San Diego

 

[joeranger]

I did not even bother to watch Sum of all Fears. With the Rangers, I trained with the DEA and Colombian Army for the exact mission in Clear and Present Danger. I hated the "A-Team wacky pilot ending".
Clancy does a great job writing in a way that it plays out like a movie in your head. He also does a ton of research so you feel like it is part documentary.
Without Remorse would suck without the right actor; Matt Damon or Jason Statham are the right type, but an unknown would be better.

 

[Watson]

Ah good ole Snake!!!! I have wanted a Without Remorse movie for a long time now. It is far and away the best revenge book this side of the Count of Monte Cristo, the book NOT the movies.

The problem with casting Kelly is that he has to be badass and he has to be a big ass dude. Matt Damon would be the perfect type actor to play Kelly but he does not physically fit the role. I could overlook it but that is one of the things that makes Kelly/Clark/Snake such a bad mother is his sheer size and skills.

 

[Solo4114]

I thought Kelly was supposed to be kind of wirey, not huge and bulky?


Anyway, here's a thought about Rainbow Six -- I say do it as a 13-episode miniseries. NOT as a movie. The more I've thought about it, the more I think that actual novels are best translated as miniseries (miniserieses?) rather than trying to cram all that info into 2-ish hours. It never works for me. Or if it does, it's usually a real departure from the novel.

 

[BDK]

I thought Kelly was supposed to be kind of wirey, not huge and bulky?


Anyway, here's a thought about Rainbow Six -- I say do it as a 13-episode miniseries. NOT as a movie. The more I've thought about it, the more I think that actual novels are best translated as miniseries (miniserieses?) rather than trying to cram all that info into 2-ish hours. It never works for me. Or if it does, it's usually a real departure from the novel.

Rainbow Six would make a great mini-series, but I'd be afraid folks would think of more as a 24 the mini-series.


Clark was tall and fit but not body builder bulky.

 

[jedi573]

Odd timing with this thread; I'm just finishing re-reading Without Remorse this evening.

I agree that it would be a hard sell for a traditional Hollywood movie. The gritty revenge movies haven't been en vogue lately.

I absolutely agree with the contention that proper casting for Kelly would make or break the project. As far as his physique, by the way, the book makes several references to him being more bulky as opposed to wiry.

I was surprised by Liev Schreiber's presence and performance in that last movie that had nothing to do with Tom Clancy's book except the title. He's too old to play Kelly in his late 20s.

Kelly's character is sullen, quiet, deliberate, passionate, and a man of conviction. All great stuff for a book, sure, but there's a reason why the casting director is generally in the lead credits. It's a lot of responsibility.

If it could be done "properly" (we're such hard judges, aren't we?) I would like to see it as a feature.

Andy

 

[Zappy]

In all of the Clancy novels I have always pictured Kelly/Clark as 'Jaws' era Robert Shaw. Shaw could go from gentlemanly to menacing on a dime and always looked as if he's seen way too much in the world... I can't think of any actors off of the top of my head that come close to that combination that would be in the right age range now...

Having been a long time fan of all of Clancy's novels, I've been a bit underwhelmed with each of the movie adaptations so far. He paints such vivid scenes that we all see them a certain way in our minds. When the movies can't reproduce those images for what ever reasons, (finances, artistic interpretation, etc..) the movies just seem to be pale comparisons..

I'd love to see Without Remorse done properly without toning down the violence at all.