First Look at Kenneth Branagh as Chris Pine's Nemesis in 'Jack Ryan'

How Kenneth Branagh will look like as a villain in his own directed film "Jack Ryan" has been unveiled in a freshly-released still. Looking sleek in a tailored suit under a long black blazer, Branagh is featured seemingly discussing an evil plan via a phone call. He appears to be in Russia as the background behind him shows the iconic St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow.

The "My Week with Marilyn" actor recently opened up to Collider that he's going to play a "great anti-thesis" Russian villain in the novel-adapted film. "I don't tend to think of him as a villain, but if you're playing a villain, you don't think of him as a villain. You just think, 'My Guy,' " he said.

"The character is a great anti-thesis, but it isn't as simple as that. It's great to see a character in this film with Jack Ryan. It's just a very strong, very interesting, complicated, complex character. When the project first came my way, it was really to do that."

Talking about how he juggled his directing and acting roles in the movie, Branagh explained, "I had a long time to think about that prospect, before actually eventually having them ask me to direct it. And then, we put aside the issue of me being in it for awhile 'cause there were so many other things to deal with. Literally, months later, Paramount said, 'Well, do you think you might?' and I said, 'Yeah, I think I'd like to'."

"Jack Ryan" is an adaptation of Tom Clancy's famous novel series which follow Ryan in his 20s where he comes out of the Marines to work in the finance world. In the new movie, he will have transplanted to Moscow to continue his financial advising, not for Merill Lynch, but for a billionaire employer. It is the billionaire employer who eventually sets Jack Ryan up to take the fall for terrorist plot designed to collapse the U.S. economy.

Taking the lead role is Chris Pine, who is also joined by Keira Knightley as his leading lady, and Kevin Costner as William Harper. The movie is set to come out in the U.S. on Christmas Day 2013.