Keira Knightley Says Working with Kenneth Branagh is What Drew Her to JACK RYAN

The upcoming film based on the characters created by popular novelist Tom Clancy is directed by Kenneth Branagh, who will also play its villain, and is scheduled for theatrical release in December 2013.

Starring Chris Pine (Star Trek) in the title role, Jack Ryan follows former Marine turned financial analyst Ryan who while living in Moscow uncovers a terrorist plot to devalue American currency and thus destroy the U.S. economy masterminded by Viktor Stazov, a financial wiz in league with the Russian government. Kenneth Branagh, director of Marvel's Thor and recent star of My Week With Marilyn, will direct Jack Ryan as well as play it's villain. Keira Knightley will play Jack's wife Cathy. During the promotion of her latest film Anna Karenina at the Toronto International Film Festival, Knightley discussed her motivation to get involved with Jack Ryan:

"I realized I'd spent five years doing films where I die at the end, and thought I should do something positive... It's pure entertainment. It's something I haven't done for a long time. This is running around a lot, but it's Ken Branagh, who's directing it, and playing the baddie.

"He's one of the main reasons I wanted to be an actress, I was so obsessed with his 'Henry V,' 'Much Ado About Nothing,' and 'Hamlet,' so the chance of working with him [was what drew me to the project], even though it's something that's nothing like that. He's also one of the most phenomenal stage actors I've ever seen, so I sort of just want to have a look at him."

Jack Ryan is the latest film to feature author Tom Clancy's popular character who was previously played by Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October, Harrison Ford in Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games and Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears. James Earl Jones is said to have a cameo in the film, reprising his role as Admiral Greer. Kevin Costner has signed on for the role of CIA Agent William Harper, the man who recruits and mentors Ryan as well as John Clark -- the main character in director Christopher McQuarrie's upcoming film Without Remorse. Harper will serve to tie the Jack and Clark franchises together similar to how Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury links Marvel Studios' films pre-Avengers. Chris Pine's This Means War co-star Tom Hardy is being pursued for the role of Clark.

Paramount Pictures will release Jack Ryan, which is currently filming in New York City, in theaters on December 25th, 2013.