Michael Keaton has been cast in the upcoming adaptation of Vince Flynn’s thriller American Assassin.
Keaton, most recently seen in the ensemble of the Academy Award-winning Spotlight, will be playing Stan Hurley, whose role in the film is described in the press release announcing his casting –
Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Keaton) would be the most feared training officer in the CIA if more than a handful of people at the agency knew that he existed. As American Assassin begins, Deputy Director Irene Kennedy tasks Hurley with training Mitch Rapp, a black ops recruit devastated by the loss of his fiancée to a terrorist attack. 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.
The film’s screenplay is by screenplay by Stephen Schiff (The Americans) and will be directed by Michael Cuesta (Kill The Messenger) who stated –
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. 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.
The character of Hurley appears in fourteen of Flynn’s novels, so it looks like studio Lionsgate has themselves a rather nice potential franchise if the film takes off with audiences.
