American Assassin (Mitch Rapp film)

[Brian in Mesa]

CBS Films Building Mitch Rapp Franchise
Source: Variety
February 14, 2008

Variety reports that CBS Films has acquired rights to a bestselling series of espionage novels by Vince Flynn and will build a franchise around its protagonist, CIA operative Mitch Rapp.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura will team with Nick Wechsler to produce the films.

Sister company Simon & Schuster/Atria Books, which in the fall published the most recent series installment, "Protect and Defend," has extended its relationship with Flynn by acquiring worldwide publishing rights to his next four novels, including translation and audio.

Flynn has so far written nine novels, eight about the fictional Rapp, who possesses the ruthlessness and killing skills of Jason Bourne and the sleuthing talents of Jack Ryan.

Flynn began the Rapp novels in 2000 with "Transfer of Power," in which the agent was assigned to stop Islamic terrorists who took control of the White House. In "Protect and Defend," Rapp and his longtime boss get ambushed in Iraq, and he becomes a killing machine to rescue his mentor before she is tortured.

The studio and producers haven't decided yet which novel to use as the basis for the first film. Most involve Rapp defusing a global crisis in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq or the U.S.

 

[Shane]

Hell Yea!

Did you ever read the books Brian? Because you never commented on them?

 

[Shane]

Hell Yea!

Did you ever read the books Brian? Because you never commented on them?

Brian?

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Hell Yea!

Did you ever read the books Brian? Because you never commented on them?

Brian?

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1625155&postcount=57

 

[Shane]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1625155&postcount=57

Im gla dyou like them. Have you picked up his newest one yet? Act of Treason?

 

[Brian in Mesa]

The studio and producers haven't decided yet which novel to use as the basis for the first film. Most involve Rapp defusing a global crisis in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq or the U.S.

Looks like they settled on a novel: Consent To Kill

 

[SuperSpck]

I very much enjoyed Term Limits.
I think it's a good blueprint for political reform.
semi-

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Best news ever - since American Assassin was Rapp's origin story...CBS Films has decided to scrap Consent To Kill and start instead with American Assassin.

http://www.vinceflynn.com/CBS_FILMS_ENLISTS_EDWARD_ZWICK_TO_DIRECT_AMERICAN_ASSASSIN.html

CBS Films announced today that Oscar©-winner Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) is attached to direct the film adaptation of American Assassin from a screenplay by Zwick and Oscar©-nominee Marshall Herskovitz. The film is based on the #1 NY Times best-selling novel by Vince Flynn. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, RED) via di Bonaventura Pictures and Nick Wechsler (The Road, We Own The Night) will produce along with Zwick and Herskovitz.

...

“I have no doubt that Edward Zwick will do an incredible job of bringing Mitch Rapp to the big screen,” said Flynn. “Ed is among the smartest and most innovative filmmakers in Hollywood and I am fully confident that he is the right man for this job.”

Senior Vice President of Production Maria Faillace and Creative Executive Ryan Conroy are overseeing the project for CBS Films, which has been developing another Mitch Rapp novel, Consent to Kill.

“We were prepping Consent to Kill when Vince told us he was going to tell Mitch Rapp’s origin story in American Assassin. From there it was a natural decision to introduce audiences to Mitch Rapp - the man before he became the legend,” recalled CBS Films President and CEO Amy Baer.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Okay, I'm dressed and ready to go. What time does the movie start?

Steve

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Chris Hemsworth Offered $10 Million To Star In American Assassin

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Chris-Hemsworth-Offered-10-Million-Star-American-Assassin-33493.html

Deadline has learned from sources that Hemsworth has been offered $10 million to star in the upcoming thriller American Assassin (I'm not going to bother pointing out the irony in the fact that he's an Aussie). An adaptation of the novel by Vince Flynn, the new project has Jeffrey Nachmanoff attached to helm (he replaced Edward Zwick back in February) and Bruce Willis is still in talks to star (and has been since early September).

The book is actually the 11th in a series about a terrorist hunter named Mitch Rapp, but it's a prequel, which makes it the perfect place to start a movie franchise. The story follows Rapp as he transforms from being a "a college scholar and athlete into a ruthless hunter of terrorists for the CIA." Should he sign on, Willis would play the role of Rapp's mentor. Mike Finch wrote the most recent adaptation, rewriting previous drafts by Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz.

 

[Shane]

I like it!

 

[Dr. Jones]

Me too!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Looks like they are finally moving forward with this film.

Michael Keaton To Play Stan Hurley In American Assassin

http://vinceflynn.com/news.html#

CBS Films and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) announced that Academy Award®-nominee Michael Keaton (Birdman, Spotlight) will star in the adaptation of Vince Flynn’s massive bestseller AMERICAN ASSASSIN. Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Cuesta (Kill The Messenger, Homeland, L.I.E.) will direct the thriller from a screenplay by Stephen Schiff (The Americans, Ultimate Rush). Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, Deepwater Horizon, Red) and Nick Wechsler (The Road, Magic Mike) are producing the film.

Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Keaton) would be the most feared training officer in the CIA if more than a handful of people at the agency knew that he existed. As AMERICAN ASSASSIN begins, Deputy Director Irene Kennedy tasks Hurley with training Mitch Rapp, a black ops recruit devastated by the loss of his fiancée to a terrorist attack. As Rapp’s training progresses, the pair is dispatched on a joint mission with a lethal Turkish agent to stop a mysterious operative from starting World War III in the Middle East.

Published by Atria Books and in mass market paperback by Pocket Books, both imprints of Simon & Schuster, AMERICAN ASSASSIN is one of fourteen novels set in the world of counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp. Every single one has been a New York Times bestseller, the three most recent entries have been number one New York Times bestsellers and the series has sold nearly twenty million copies to date.

“Stan Hurley is one of the pillars of the Vince Flynn universe and a favorite character for millions of readers, so casting him was a daunting challenge,” said Cuesta, who continued. “To have an actor as intelligent and gifted as Michael Keaton bring this beloved character to life is a thrill for everyone involved in AMERICAN ASSASSIN and a cause for celebration amongst ‘Hurley’ fans the world over.”

 

[jf-08]

Awesome!

 

[Covert Rain]

Never read the books. Sounds interesting.

 

[Shane]

Never read the books. Sounds interesting.

Best books EVER!

 

[Brian in Mesa]

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[Covert Rain]

Meh...looks OK.

 

[Shane]

an uninspiring choice for Mitch freaking Rapp... ughhh

 

[jf-08]

Saw this with my girlfriend. It was actually better than I anticipated. 3 / 5 stars

 

[Brian in Mesa]

an uninspiring choice for Mitch freaking Rapp... ughhh

Well, he has to be someone who could pass for Middle Eastern to match the character from the books and he'd have to be much younger since this is essentially the prequel book going back to his beginnings.

At least he isn't being played by Tom Cruise.