Keira Knightley Frontrunner For Female Lead In Jack Ryan Reboot; Felicity Jones & Evangeline Lilly Also In The Mix

Quick! Name the female leads of the Jack Ryan movies! Yeah, that's what we thought, but those previous efforts are generally such testosterone-driven sausage parties, you can be forgiven for forgetting if any actresses were involved. But in rebooting the character for a whole new generation, Paramount is hoping to give Jack Ryan someone to snuggle with at the end of the night.

Keira Knightley is reportedly in the frontrunner position for the female lead, with Felicity Jones and Evangeline Lilly also in the mix. The part will find the winning actress playing the role of Jack Ryan's future wife (aka Anne Archer in the Harrison Ford movies), but let's hope the part requires more than just a beautiful face, which these three do quite easily anyway. While Knightley might seem an odd fit, remember she's done the blockbuster thing in the 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' movies, as well as tried on an action role with Tony Scott's "Domino." In that regard, Jones probably has the least experience of the trio (though if the part doesn't require kicking ass, that won't be an issue), while Lilly has already proven she can do rugged and sensitive thanks to "Lost."

As you know, Chris Pine takes the lead with Kenneth Branagh directing and taking the villain role, because that's just how he does it. The film formerly known as "Moscow" will still maintain its Russian setting, and finds Jack Ryan now working as an analyst in Moscow who uncovers a plot by the company he works for to launch a terrorist attack and bring down the economy of the United States. Real world issues y'all!

Whoever wins the gig will also be optioned for two more movies, because this is a franchise, duh. No word yet on when this forever gestating movie might shoot, but it seems it's getting much closer to happening than it ever has before. [Deadline]