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American Assassin Movie

by Mike_W

The American Assassin movie, featuring Mitch Rapp, is based on the novel Vince Flynn. The film, American Assassin, will debut Mitch Rapp on the big screen in a movie by CBS.

The much anticipated American Assassin movie and book features the CIA’s most effective weapon, Mitch Rapp. The novel was written by Vince Flynn, who created the successful Mitch Rapp series of novels. A Mitch Rapp movie has been on the cards for quite some time because his character is perfect for the silver screen. He is a US version of James Bond and a more motivated and driven Jason Bourne. The debut Mitch Rapp movie was intended to be Consent to Kill. However, once American Assassin was published in 2010, it became apparent that American Assassin was a much more appropriate way for Mitch Rapp to launch an attack on the big screen.

American Assassin flashes back to when Mitch Rapp was first recruited by the CIA, and the events that set in motion his motives, his issues with red-tape, authority figures and the early signs that he was going to become the tip of the spear in the CIA’s fight against terrorism.

American Assassin Novel by Vince Flynn

American Assassin: A Thriller (1) (A Mitch Rapp Novel)

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News and Information about the American Assassin novel and up-coming movie

American Assassin Novel

Mitch Rapp: American Assassin

At the time when American Assassin was released in Mitch Rapp series, going by the order they were published, the character of Mitch Rapp is well established. Mitch Rapp is a CIA superagent who specializes in terrorist hunting. His motives for hating terrorists have been referred to many times. While at college his girlfriend and many of his friends were killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

However, American Assassin delves deeper into how the incident shaped Mitch Rapp and how Dr. Irene Kennedy helped him channel the rage into becoming a terrorist hunter. It also gives an insight into the incidents that may have started Rapp's hatred of red-tape, annoyance at people play games and the fury at people who refuse to take action. However, at this point Rapp has not truly been poisoned by Washington yet. Later in his life we see his character so disenchanted with politicians and bureaucracy that he hates even being in Washington, D.C. We see the early signs of that disenchantment in American Assassin.

Mitch Rapp has always been portrayed as someone with the utmost confidence in his abilities; it's one of the striking things when other characters meet him. The interesting thing about American Assassin is that, although he is still a confident character, Mitch Rapp had the same self doubts most people have. He wondered whether he had what it takes and needed to prove to himself that he could really be an American assassin.

Although the whole American Assassin book is a flash back, the novel flips between timelines but not with the present day. American Assassin flips between Rapp's recruitment and training, his first assignment, and a rescue attempt he makes later on.

Latest American Assassin Movie News

Before the novel American Assassin was released Hollywood's dark-haired heavyweights Gerard Butler, Colin Farrell, and Matthew Fox were being lined up to play the notorious terrorist hunter. However, now that the movie will be set at the beginning of Rapp's career, a younger, less known actor is needed. To compensate, a well known actor will play the role of mentor Stan Hurley. The latest name being banded around is action movie legend Bruce Willis.

 

Chronological Place of American Assassin in the Mitch Rapp Series

How the movie and novel fits in

American Assassin was the tenth Mitch Rapp novel and the eleventh in the Mitch Rapp universe created by Vince Flynn. However, in chronological order it is the first Mitch Rapp novel. It was recommended to me that it be the first Mitch Rapp book that I read, so I did. In many ways it is the perfect choice to read first and for Mitch Rapp to make his film debut.

Vince Flynn himself has said that it is the perfect starting point for someone entering the series. He goes on to say that American Assassin shows Mitch Rapp's motivation, why he was recruited, what drives a man who at the age of 22 decides to go and become an Assassin for the CIA.

Of course, it was never Vince Flynn's intention for American Assassin to be read first, nor would he have necessarily envisioned it when he wrote his first Mitch Rapp novel, Transfer of Power. A hallmark of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp books has been his attention to detail and continuity. However, it would be near impossible to write a back story to a character who has had ten novels written over ten years, and not have some inconsistencies. In Flynn's case these are relatively minor, for example, the nature of Mitch Rapp's training and his relationship with Stan Hurley. However, reading American Assassin first can highlight these somewhat.

This will not be a problem with the movie version of American Assassin. Those inconsistencies can be tweaked if the other Mitch Rapp books get made into movies. Further more, unfortunately in the age of hackneyed sequels and reboots, movie audiences are having to become familiar with inconsistencies that are far harder to swallow.

Vince Flynn American Assassin and Mitch Rapp video

15 minutes of insight, straight from the horses mouth

Vince Flynn is interviewed by Scott Baker from The Blaze about the book American Assassin. He talks about how American Assassin fits in with the rest of the series and why he was motivated to portray Mitch Rapp in his early days. At nearly 15 minutes, the video is lengthy, but for Vince Flynn/Mitch Rapp fans the interview provides interesting insight into the author and the series.

Flynn also discusses his background and how he got into writing.

American Assassin Novel Poll

What did you think of the Mitch Rapp novel, American Assassin by Vince Flynn
Updated: 09/15/2012, Mike_W
 
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HollieT on 11/17/2012

This is exactly the type of movie I'm into, intrigue, plot and relevance to today's society, although as a Brit I have to say that James Bond never 'did it for me' I've always been more of a John le Carre fan. :)

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