No, American Assassin isn't based on a true story (here's where you can buy the book)

At the beginning of February, Netflix released the action thriller flick American Assassin, and it's currently sitting at the No. 2 spot on the streamer's top 10 movie list. It doesn't look like it's going to be leaving the list anytime soon either. We strongly recommend checking it out to see if it's up your alley.

American Assassin is a 2017 film that was directed by Michael Cuesta. Cuesta is known for directing episodes for shows such as Six Feet Under, Dexter, Blue Bloods and Homeland. In addition, Stephen Schiff, Michael Finch, Edward Zwick, and Marshall Herskovitz co-wrote the movie's screenplay.

It was originally released in theaters in September 2017, receiving mixed reviews from critics. However, the action movie managed to fare well at the box office with it grossing $67.2 million worldwide on a $33 million budget.

Starring Teen Wolf's Dylan O'Brien, American Assassin follows grad student Mitch Rapp, who after experiencing a tragic loss at the hands of terrorists, embarks on a journey of vengeance. His revenge mission ultimately brings him to the CIA where he ends up joining forces with Cold War veteran Stan Hurley to put a stop to a potential global war.

O'Brien portrays the leading role of Mitch Rapp, a grad student turned CIA black ops recruit. Additionally, Emmy Award-winning actor Michael Keaton plays Stan Hurley, a CIA Agent and Cold War vet. The rest of the talented cast includes Sanaa Lathan, Shiva Negar, David Suchet, Navid Negahban, Scott Adkins, Taylor Kitsch, and several others.

What book is American Assassin based on?

With so many movies being based on true stories nowadays, you might've thought that American Assassin was based on a true story as well. However, it's not. It's all made-up material that's based on the late author Vince Flynn's 2010 book of the same name. In fact, Flynn has a series of novels about the CIA counterterrorism agent (Mitch Rapp).

Here's a list of all the Mitch Rapp novels and the order in which they should be read:

1. American Assassin (2010)
2. Kill Shot (2012)
3. Transfer of Power (1999)
4. The Third Option (2000)
5. Separation of Power (2001)
6. Executive Power (2003)
7. Memorial Day (2004)
8. Consent To Kill (2005)
9. Act of Treason (2006)
10. Protect and Defend (2007)
11. Extreme Measures (2008)
12. Pursuit of Honor (2009)
13. The Last Man (2012)
14. The Survivor (2015)
15. Order To Kill (2016)
16. Enemy Of The State (2017)
17. Red War (2018)
18. Lethal Agent (2019)
19. Total Power (2020)
20. Enemy At The Gates (2021)
21. Oath Of Loyalty (2022)
22. Code Red (2023)
23. Mitch Rapp #23 (upcoming book to be released on Sept. 10, 2024)

Flynn wrote the Mitch Rapp novels 1-13, with writing duties passing over to American author Kyle Mills after he passed away in 2013. Mills is the author of books 14 to 22. In 2023, it was announced that Mills would be passing over writing duties to Don Bentley. Story details and the official title for the 23rd book have not been revealed yet, but Bentley has provided a few hints about the storyline.

If you would like to purchase the American Assassin book, you can do so through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. On Amazon, you can buy the book as an eBook, paperback, or hardcover. On the Barnes & Noble official website, you can buy the book as an eBook or paperback. You can also buy the other Mitch Rapp novels through these same websites.

Take a look at the exciting official trailer for the movie!

American Assassin is streaming now on Netflix.