Dylan O’Brien is now finally back in front of cameras after suffering a serious accident on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure earlier this year, and now our first look at O’Brien in the potential franchise-starter American Assassin has arrived. This past spring, O’Brien was involved in a significant accident on the Maze Runner set that shut that film’s production down so O’Brien could recuperate. The sequel is now back on track to resume filming in early 2017, but before that, O’Brien will lead another potential franchise in the Vince Flynn adaptation American Assassin.
There are 15 books in all in Flynn’s Mitch Rapp series, and in American Assassin O’Brien brings to life Rapp’s early rise as a CIA black ops recruit. Working under the instruction of a Cold War veteran, played by Michael Keaton, Rapp is tasked with investigating apparently random attacks on military and civilian targets that lead them on the trail of a mysterious operative who’s intent on starting World War III in the Middle East. Taylor Kistch will play against type here as the film’s villain, and the aim for this CBS Films and Lionsgate co-production is to begin a series of Mitch Rapp films starring O’Brien.
This first look image isn’t much, but as O’Brien hasn’t made many public appearances since his accident, fans will no doubt be happy to see that the actor has recovered nicely and is ready to get back in action. It’s curious that he’s shooting American Assassin in the middle of Death Cure filming, and I do wonder how much of Death Cure was completed before production was shut down.
Regardless, take a look at Dylan O’Brien as Mitch Rapp in the American Assassin image below, which was snapped during O’Brien’s recent screen test. Directed by Homeland and Kill the Messenger helmer Michael Cuesta, the film also stars Sanaa Lathan and Shiva Negar. American Assassin is currently shooting in Europe and does not yet have a release date.
Here’s the official synopsis for American Assassin:
AMERICAN ASSASSIN follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien) a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on both military and civilian targets. Together the three discover a pattern in the violence leading them to a joint mission with a lethal Turkish agent (Shiva Negar) to stop a mysterious operative (Taylor Kitsch) intent on starting a World War in the Middle East.