Is Chris Hemsworth poised to become the most bankable blockbuster actor in Hollywood? CBS Films hopes so. The studio, which bought the rights to produce movie versions of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp books, like his recent bestseller, "The Last Man," has offered Hemsworth the lead role in its adaptation of Flynn's "American Assassin."
Flynn's Mitch Rapp series consists of 13 books: "American Assassin," "Kill Shot," "Transfer of Power," "The Third Option," "Separation of Power," "Executive Power," "Memorial Day," "Consent to Kill," "Act of Treason," "Protect and Defend," "Extreme Measures," "Pursuit of Honor," and "The Last Man." With all that source material, if Hemsworth proved to be a successful Rapp, the studio is likely looking for this become its next big franchise.
While "American Assassin" will be the first movie adaptation of the Rapp character, it's actually the 11th novel in the series, and serves as a prequel, detailing the character's origin story, explaining how tragedy transformed Rapp from a college scholar and athlete into a ruthless hunter of terrorists for the CIA.
Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who directed Showtime's "Homeland," and Don Cheadle's 2008 thriller "Traitor," is set to direct. Mike Finch wrote the script, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura will produce. Hemsworth has been offered $10 million to star, and Bruce Willis is reportedly also in talks to play is mentor in the film, Deadline reports.
"American Assassin" is will begin production in Montreal sometime in fall 2013. Should Willis join the project, it will mark his reunion with di Bonaventura after they worked together in 2010's "Red".
Hemsworth has been all over big-budget projects in the last two years, from "The Avengers," and "Snow White and the Huntsman," to the soon-to-be-released xenophobic call-to-arms remake, "Red Dawn." He's apparently currently shooting the sequel to "Thor" and will then star with Anne Hathaway in Steven Spielberg's "Robopocolypse."
CBS Films first optioned the rights for Flynn's Mitch Rapp character with the intention of creating a character-based, action-thriller movie franchise back in 2008.
Flynn's hero is an under-cover CIA counter-terrorism agent. Rapp works to thwart Middle Eastern terrorist attacks on the United States. Flynn presents him as an aggressive operative who is willing to take any measures possible to get his job done.
Flynn is known for his research and prophetic warnings about the rise of Islamic Radical Fundamentalism and terrorism. His books are reportedly read by current and former presidents, foreign heads of state, and intelligence professionals around the world, and are taken so seriously that one high-ranking CIA official told his people, "I want you to read Flynn's books and start thinking about how we can more effectively wage this war on terror," according to Flynn.