'That seems like no way to launch a franchise.'Įighteen months after the beach murder, Rapp is recruited by a CIA leader played by Sanaa Lathan for intense training by Hurley and given a mission to stop a former Hurley protege known as Ghost (played by Taylor Kitsch) from starting a world war. 'We were not making a period piece,' said co-screenwriter Stephen Schiff, who said he came up with the beach massacre opening. That creates an origin story and places Rapp, who is 23 in the story, closer in age to the 26-year-old O'Brien. Instead of having Rapp out for vengeance after his girlfriend is killed in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, the movie moves the action to present day with Rapp's fiancee slain in a terrorist beach massacre in Spain. Finally the 55-day shoot began last September and jumped from London to Rome and Malta before finishing in Thailand.Ĭhanges were made to the plot of the film. Filmmakers also had to wait while O'Brien recovered from an injury suffered during an accident while filming a 'Maze Runner' sequel in 2016. 'We weren't at an urgent level but we were approaching them,' he said. Producers had to get cameras rolling before the film rights reverted to Flynn's estate, di Bonaventura said. 'Training Day' director Antoine Fuqua originally was attached to direct 'American Assassin,' but moved on to direct 'Olympus Has Fallen.' Chris Hemsworth passed on the lead role because of scheduling issues, and Bruce Willis was interested in playing Hurley but no deal was made. Originally Flynn's novel 'Consent to Kill' was considered, then put aside.

Bush among fans.īut making a Mitch Rapp movie proved elusive. and millions more worldwide, and include former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. His books have sold nearly 20 million copies in the U.S. Paul, wrote 14 political thrillers, starting with his self-published 'Term Limits' in 1997, and featured his CIA counterterrorism operative Rapp in 13.

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