Keira Knightley joins Jack Ryan

The cast of Paramount’s long-gestating Jack Ryan reboot is slowly coming together, with Keira Knightley in negotiations for the lead female role.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, she was the studio’s original choice to star as the wife of Chris Pine‘s title character, but director Kenneth Branagh only circled back to her after testing a number of other actresses.

Branagh is set to play a Russian villain to Pine’s CIA agent, intent on destroying the American economy.

Jack Ryan is a prequel to the series of Tom Clancy books in which the character first emerged. He has previously been portrayed on screen by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck.

Discuss: How do you feel about the cast so far?