CBS Films and Lionsgate have announced today that Sanaa Lathan (The Perfect Guy, Now You See Me 2) and Shiva Negar (Four in the Morning, The Art of More) are joining Dylan O’Brien (Deepwater Horizon, The Maze Runner), Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton (Birdman, Spotlight) and Taylor Kitsch (Lone Survivor, True Detective) in the adaptation of the Vince Flynn bestseller American Assassin. Michael Cuesta (Kill The Messenger, Homeland) is directing the thriller from a screenplay by Stephen Schiff (The Americans, Ultimate Rush). Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, Salt) and Nick Wechsler (The Road, Magic Mike) are producing.
American Assassin follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (O’Brien) a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on both military and civilian targets. Together the three discover a pattern in the violence leading them to a joint mission with a lethal Turkish agent (Shiva Negar) to stop a mysterious operative (Taylor Kitsch) intent on starting a World War 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 15 novels set in the world of counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp. Every single entry in the series has been a New York Times best-seller, the three most recent entries have been number one best-sellers, and the series overall has sold nearly 20 million copies to date.
“Vince Flynn created a universe populated by complex yet relatable characters who inspired millions of fans the world over,” says Cuesta. “To have an actress of Sanaa Lathan’s depth and intensity step into the role of Kennedy while simultaneously having the opportunity to introduce audiences to the extraordinary talent of Shiva Negar means that Flynn’s vision of powerful but believable individuals remains the foundation of ‘American Assassin.’”
Senior Vice President of Production Mark Ross and Vice President of Production Alex Ginno are overseeing the project for CBS Films. American Assassin will be the latest release in the partnership between CBS Films and Lionsgate. The film will be co-financed by the two companies with CBS Films handling production and marketing and Lionsgate handling distribution
