Before Season 1 has even debuted, Amazon Prime has ordered Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Season 2. The streaming service will launch the Jack Ryan TV series on August 31st with John Krasinski in the titular role, but it appears they’re getting a jump on things by securing Krasinski for a second go-around with the character. This isn’t incredibly surprising as Krasinski just became extremely in-demand with the smashing success of his directorial feature A Quiet Place, which has now grossed over $200 million. He’s committed to next directing a sci-fi film called Life on Mars, but not before he shoots Jack Ryan Season 2.
Indeed, Amazon announced that not only have they ordered a second season of Jack Ryan, but production will begin this summer in Europe, South America, and the United States for a story that finds the CIA operative confronting “the forces in power in a dangerous, declining democratic regime in South America.”
Season 1 of Jack Ryan will find the character tackling ISIS with a terrorism-focused storyline, but it sounds like co-showrunners Carlton Cuse (LOST) and Graham Roland (Fringe) are switching things up for the eight-episode second season. Cuse and Roland will continue to serve as showrunners, Krasinski will star and executive produce, and Wendell Pierce will reprise his role as James Greer for Jack Ryan Season 2.
The streaming service cites the growth in subscribership after the show’s Super Bowl trailer as part of their reasoning for the early renewal, but they no doubt had to consider Krasinski’s growing schedule. If they waited to long, he may be unavailable for quite some time. As it is now, Krasinski can shoot Jack Ryan Season 2 this summer while prepping his next directorial effort, then go and shoot that this winter or next spring before the potentially inevitable Jack Ryan Season 3 renewal.
It’s a smart business decision, and while I can’t say if it’s a good or bad thing yet since no one’s seen Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, as a fan of Krasinski's work I’m mighty curious to see what this show is all about. We’ll find out when it debuts on August 31st exclusively on Amazon Prime.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is produced by Paramount Television, Skydance Television, and Platinum Dunes. For a complete list of TV renewals and cancellations, check out our TV Lifeline.
