McQuarrie Has "Remorse"

"The Usual Suspects" writer Christopher McQuarrie is closing a deal to write and potentially direct the film adaptation of author Tom Clancy's 1993 novel "Without Remorse" says Deadline.

The 1971-set book has John Kelly, a former Navy SEAL Team member returned from the Vietnam War, taking charge of two operations - an official military rescue of POWs, and a personal vendetta against the drug runners who raped, tortured and killed the first woman he became involved with since his wife's death.

The book is a prequel to events in Clancy's other books as Kelly would later become John Clark, the dark supporting character that shows up in several Jack Ryan novels.

Willem Dafoe played the character in "Clear and Present Danger" while Liev Schrieber took the role in "The Sum of All Fears".

There have been several attempts to adapt the the book--its bleak and violent storyline has proved tough to get a handle on.