Michael Keaton Will Train an AMERICAN ASSASSIN in New Movie

Author Vince Flynn's popular series of Mitch Rapp novels is making the jump to the big screen, and will fittingly begin with an adaptation of American Assassin, the first book to introduce the character. Deadline reports that Oscar winning actor Michael Keaton has become the first person hired for the film, and he'll play a character named Stan Hurley, a Cold War vet who teaches Rapp how to fight terrorists. Here's how Deadline describes the plot:

The series will begin as Rapp is a black ops recruit who’s devastated by the loss of his fiancee to a terrorist attack. The CIA deputy director assigns the shadowy Hurley to train a grief-stricken but highly motivated Rapp how to thwart terrorist operations and hunt the perpetrators. 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.

I went to Flynn's website to read the official book synopsis, but it felt a little too spoilery to reproduce here, so you can check that out for yourselves if you want.

This sounds a lot like the Kevin Costner role in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, so here's hoping this movie turns out better than that one did. Keaton seems like he'd be fun to watch sneaking around in the shadows and providing sage advice to an up-and-coming agent, so we'll keep you posted on this movie's new developments — including who ends up being cast as Rapp — as soon as we hear about them.

Michael Cuesta (Kill The Messenger, Homeland) is directing from a screenplay by Stephen Schiff (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), and production starts this summer.

“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. “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.”

Have you read the book? What do you think about a movie version of this story?