Chris Hemsworth may be bringing his blockbuster cachet to a new franchise.
The “Thor” star has reportedly been offered a cool $10 million to play the lead in “American Assassin,” an adaptation of the bestselling Vince Flynn spy novel of the same name that’s being eyed as the start of a potential new franchise for CBS Films.
Hemsworth would play CIA operative Mitch Rapp, the protagonist of a long-running book series who first appeared in Flynn’s 2000 novel “Transfer of Power.” While “Assassin” is actually the eleventh tome in the Rapp franchise, it serves as a prequel to the preceding entries, focusing on Rapp’s early years as a high-level terrorist hunter.
The news was broken by Deadline.
As previously reported, Bruce Willis is in talks to play the role of Rapp’s mentor in the film, which is set to be directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (“Traitor,” Showtime’s “Homeland”).
Hemsworth is currently shooting the “Thor” sequel, and is next slated to star in Steven Spielberg’s “Robopocalypse” opposite Anne Hathaway. Upcoming releases for the actor include the long-delayed “Red Dawn” remake (November 21) and the Ron Howard racing biopic “Rush” co-starring Olivia Wilde.
Have you read any of the Mitch Rapp books? Do you think Hemsworth is the right choice for the role? Sound off in the comments.