THE BLADE Of Chris Pine

A long while ago, it was announced that Ben Affleck with Gone Baby Gone buddies, producer Sean Bailey and screenwriter Aaron Stockard are developing the adaptation of THE BLADE ITSELF based on the explosive crime thriller novel by first time author Marcus Sakey. EsquireMagazine said it was one of the best novels of 2007. The New York Times called it a book that “Delivers a kick and leaves no loose ends.” and after a long time of silence, the project is slowly moving again…

According to Panjiba, Chris Pine has been attached to star in THE BLADE ITSELF since May, days before the release of Star Trek. Stockhard and Affleck penned the screenplay but Affleck is not set to direct, in fact, currently there is no director officially attached to this project.
Once again, Pine was excellent as the younger James T. Kirk, and I still believe he’s going to be a force to be reckon with, given the right gig and character. If the deal goes well, he’s also going to make an excellent new Jack Ryan.

Here’s the official synopsis of the book…
“How far would you go to protect everything you love?
On the South Side of Chicago, you’re only as strong as your reputation. Danny Carter and his best friend, Evan, earned theirs knocking over pawnshops and liquor stores, living from score to score, never thinking of tomorrow.

Then a job went desperately wrong, and in the roar of a gun blast, everything changed.
Years later, Danny doesn’t think about his past. He’s built a new world for himself: a legitimate career, a long-term girlfriend, and a clean conscience. He’s just like anyone else. Normal. Successful. Happy.

Until he spots his old partner staring him down in a smoky barroom mirror. The prison-hardened Evan is barely recognizable. Having served his time without dropping Danny’s name, his old friend believes he’s owed major payback — and he’s willing to do anything to get it. With all he loves on the line and nowhere to turn, Danny realizes his new life hinges on a terrible choice: How far will he go to protect his future from his past?

A debut novel that’s drawn comparisons to Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, and Quentin Tarantino, The Blade Itself is the story of a good man held hostage by circumstance; a riveting exploration of class, identity, and the demons that shape us, where every effort to do the right thing leads to terrifying consequences and one inevitable conclusion: The more you have, the more you have to lose.