Kenneth Branagh doesn't want you to think of him as that guy who only directs Shakespeare adaptations. While a case can be made that there's something quite Shakespearean about Marvel's Thor, the same definitely can't be said about Jack Ryan. Clearly, he's moving in the direction of more mainstream, popcorny features.
Just a few weeks ago, Mark Romanek stepped down from Disney's live-action Cinderella, and now Vulture says Branagh is in talks to take over. Cate Blanchett is the only one confirmed at this point, still locked in for the role of the evil stepmother. That may depend on whether or not Disney hits the fall start date, so they'll likely be scrambling to get Branagh under contract.
Gabriella Wilde, Saoirse Ronan, and Alicia Vikander were most recently circling the title role, but it's unclear if that's still the case. Chris Weitz(The Golden Compass) wrote the most recent draft of the script, originally completed by Aline Brosh McKenna.
