Sam Raimi to direct next Tom Clancy movie

What once seemed like a sure project for City of God director Fernando Meirelles—possibly starring Half-Nelson's Ryan Gosling—was recently turned on its head. Variety reports that Paramount has appointed Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Spiderman trilogy) to script and direct the next Tom Clancy adaptation. The details are still fuzzy as to which specific novel he will adapt the screenplay from, but Raimi says he plans to set the story in modern times while still depicting the Cold War-era main character Jack Ryan in his “younger more formidable years.”

Whomever Raimi picks for the role of Ryan will follow in a long, James Bond-like succession of actors. Alec Baldwin first filled the role in The Hunt for Red October (1990), followed by Harrison Ford in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994), and, finally, Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears (2002).

But don't get too excited about the match-up just yet: With the movie Drag Me to Hell still on his plate, Raimi plans to release the upcoming Clancy project no earlier than 2010

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.