Michael Keaton’s “American Assassin” release date set

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lionsgate and CBS Films have set a Sept. 15 release date for “American Assassin”, starring Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, and Taylor Kitsch, Variety said.

“Kill the Messenger” helmer Michael Cuesta directed the thriller from a screenplay by Stephen Schiff. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Wechsler are producing the film. Based on Vince Flynn’s novel, the movie follows Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Keaton), who would be the most feared training officer in the CIA if more than a handful of people at the agency actually knew of his existence.

As the story begins, Hurley’s deputy director (Lathan) tasks him with training a black ops recruit devastated by the loss of his fiancée to a terrorist attack. The pair is eventually dispatched on a joint mission with a lethal Turkish agent — played by actress Shiva Negar — to stop a mysterious operative (played by Kitsch) from starting World War III in the Middle East.

Published by Atria Books and in paperback by Pocket Books, both imprints of Simon & Schuster, “American Assassin” is one of 14 novels set in the world of counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp, who is being portrayed by O’Brien. The Kennedy character is in all the novels.

“American Assassin” is the second title to land on the date. Sony is also opening Ice Age survival story “The Solutrean” on the same date.