Patriot Games was made into a motion picture and released by Paramount in 1992. It was produced by Mace Neufeld and Robert Rehme and directed by Phillip Noyce. The screenplay was by W. Peter Iliff and Donald Stewart. Harrison Ford plays Jack Ryan in the motion picture. Although reviewers praised his performance, the word stupid was frequently applied to his character's actions.

The scene-stealer is Sean Bean, who plays the ultra-evil terrorist Sean Miller. James Earl Jones reprises his role from The Hunt for Red October as Admiral James Greer, Anne Archer plays Jack Ryan's wife Cathy Ryan, and Thora Birch plays their daughter Sally Ryan. Patriot Games was America's top grossing motion picture in 1992, taking in over eighty million dollars.

Tom Clancy very much disliked this motion picture, but publicly he just says that he has made his peace with Paramount over the movie.