It helps that Chris Pine has spent time in the action realm. Most notably, he took over the Jack Ryan mantle for 2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and he succeeded William Shatner as James T. Kirk for three Star Trek movies. And speaking of that franchise, which, like The Saint, also hails from Paramount Pictures, Variety mentioned in its writeup that as the wait for Star Trek 4 continues, the studio felt Simon Templar was “the perfect role” for the actor to inhabit in the meantime.
Article source: https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2494885/chris-pine-has-nabbed-a-movie-role-originally-meant-for-other-hollywood-chris