Savoy Pictures first bought the film rights to Without Remorse soon after the novel was released for $2.5 million. Keanu Reeves was offered the role as Clark for $7 million but declined. Variety magazine reported that Laurence Fishburne and Gary Sinise were later attached to star in the adaptation; however, production was shut down due to script problems and financial woes with the production company.
The film went under development hell for years until Christopher McQuarrie signed on with Paramount Pictures to direct the adaptation in 2012. Tom Hardy was approached by Paramount to play Clark, and Kevin Costner was slated to reprise his role as mentor William Harper from another Clancy-based film, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), but this version was scrapped.
In 2017, it was announced that Akiva Goldsman signed on with the same studio to produce another film adaptation starring Clark, Rainbow Six. On September 20, 2018, Michael B. Jordan was announced to be playing the character in a two-part film series, which will be composed of Without Remorse and Rainbow Six and with Goldsman, Jordan, Josh Appelbaum, and Andre Nemec producing.
In December 2018, Stefano Sollima (ACAB, Suburra, Sicario: Day of the Soldado) was hired to direct the film. On January 9, 2019, Variety announced that Taylor Sheridan will rewrite the screenplay. In September, Jamie Bell and Jodie Turner-Smith were cast, with Luke Mitchell, Jacob Scipio, Cam Gigandet, Jack Kesy, Todd Lasance and Brett Gelman joining in October.
