What links 19th Century British detective Sherlock Holmes and 21st Century American spook Jack Ryan? That'll be screenwriter Anthony Peckham, who co-wrote Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes and has just been hired to write Chris Pine's first outing as Tom Clancy's action hero.

Peckham joins Pine and Lost director Jack Bender on the new project, intended to reboot the franchise a la Casino Royale and Batman Begins by setting the action early in the character's career. In addition to Holmes, Peckham has worked on South African rugby movie Invictus with Clint Eastwood and The Book of Eli.

The new Jack Ryan movie, as yet untitled, is aimed for a late 2010/early 2011 start of shooting.