A nationwide release date has been announced by the promoters of "American Assassin," a long-anticipated movie starring Michael Keaton and built around a terrorist-fighting hero created by Twin Cities novelist Vince Flynn.
"On September 15th, 2017, the Mitch Rapp saga begins," read the first of several promotional tweets sent in rapid succession Monday by CBS Films that trumpeted the film's nationwide rollout.
"American Assassin" is an adaptation of Flynn's series of 14 bestselling spy thrillers. All of the books made the New York Times bestseller list.
Keaton portrays Cold War veteran Stan Hurley, who trains CIA black-ops recruit Mitch Rapp, played by Dylan O'Brien of "The Maze Runner" fame. The pair are dispatched on a mission to stop an operative from starting World War III in the Middle East. Taylor Kitsch portrays the villainous operative in the movie.
Flynn, who grew up in St. Paul and graduated from St. Thomas Academy and the University of St. Thomas, died in 2013 after a 2½-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 47.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
