10 Reasons American Assassin Bombed At The Box Office (& Killed Its Massive Franchise Plans)

2017 spy thriller American Assassin could have heralded the arrival of a major new action franchise, but there are several reasons why the movie ultimately bombed at the box office. Boasting an impressive cast, including The Maze Runner‘s Dylan O’Brien, Taylor Kitsch, and Michael Keaton, the movie seemed to have all the ingredients to guarantee success. Unfortunately, its failure was not just a disappointment on its own terms, but also stalled the studio’s plans for a wider series.

American Assassin stars O’Brien as CIA operative Mitch Rapp – a raw recruit who joins Michael Keaton’s Stan Hurley in trying to prevent nuclear conflict in the Middle East. Based on the book by author Vince Flynn, the story establishes Rapp as a force to be reckoned with alongside other literary action heroes like Jacks Reacher and Ryan. However, despite the popular source material, the movie failed to impress audiences, making just $67 million against a $33 million budget. While not as catastrophic as some mid-budget releases, this performance perplexed many commentators who expected better. Nonetheless, there are key reasons why American Assassin flopped.

10 Critical Consensus

American Assassin didn’t get a positive reception

A major obstacle in front of American Assassin‘s success was the film’s mediocre critical performance. Based on 183 reviews, the movie holds an unimpressive 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating generally unfavorable reviews. Critical consensus is not always necessary for a movie to become a box office hit, as similarly-received success stories like fellow 2017 theatrical release The Hitman’s Bodyguard prove. However, if a film lacks other marketing factors like genre stars or belonging to an established franchise, it can make all the difference. In this case, a 34% rating means that the movie was unlikely to persuade cinephiles on the fence.

9 Unoriginal Storytelling

American Assassin was too derivative

A common critical complaint about the movie was the clichéd nature of its story. Centering on Mitch Rapp’s origins, the film tells a typical revenge arc, complete with an older mentor figure and a former ally turned rogue, all amid the backdrop of a global threat. In this way, American Assassin follows the blueprint laid by huge hits such as Skyfall and Mission: Impossible. In adding nothing new to the genre, American Assassin offered little to audiences looking for a fresh twist on an established formula.

8 Budget

Mid-budget thrillers can struggle to succeed

Unlike major franchises like Bond and Mission: Impossible, American Assassin couldn’t afford to spend millions of dollars on ground-breaking special effects and stuntwork. The film’s budget of just $33 million placed natural limitations on what the story could achieve, with a distinct lack of the major set pieces typical in the action thriller genre. As a result, much of the action was restricted to intense indoor fighting, yet without the finesse of projects like John Wick.

Unlike the Keanu Reeves vehicle, which also operated on limited resources, the movie still tried to shoehorn in some big set pieces. American Assassin‘s ending, for instance, features a tsunami that nearly sinks several navy ships – a scene which, thanks to the budget, simply doesn’t feel realistic. John Wick proves small-budget action doesn’t mean low quality. Unfortunately, American Assassin focused its resources in the wrong direction.

Related

American Assassin Review

American Assassin is a preposterous, but lean and mean Mitch Rapp thriller adaptation elevated by Michael Keaton’s turn as Rapp’s grizzled mentor.

7 Morality

American Assassin was problematic

A key concern identified by both critics and audiences was American Assassin‘s somewhat problematic and occasionally confused attitude towards revenge. On the one hand, some scenes attempt to highlight the corrosive influence of vengeance – with Taylor Kitsch’s entire arc a prime example. However, much of the movie also revels in Rapp’s destructive capabilities as he mows down rows of disposable enemies. This warped view of morality left many uncomfortable, with some even questioning how they should feel about the film’s supposed hero. This was cemented further by the movie’s occasionally troubling depiction of Islam and generally dour approach.

6 Tone

American Assassin took itself too seriously

Many of the most successful action thrillers use moments of levity to lighten the mood amidst the violence. Where John Wick thrives in the often hilarious creativity of its kills, other franchises use quippy dialogue to break the tension. American Assassin did neither. Instead, the movie was a dark and occasionally ultraviolent exploration of retribution. Violence and self-seriousness don’t necessarily doom a movie – as proven by projects like Extraction. In this case, however, the combination made American Assassin a somewhat joyless experience for both audiences and critics.

5 Competition

September 2017 was dominated by one movie

While there are many factors within a movie’s control, sometimes external circumstances can be just as important in determining success or failure. Unfortunately for American Assassin, its release coincided with one of the year’s most surprisingly popular hits – Andy Muschietti’s It. It dominated the box office, making over $700 million against a $35 million budget and setting multiple box office records along the way. As another R-rated release, It also shared an audience with American Assassin – although the two movies occupy different genres. While It‘s success was not the only factor in American Assassin‘s failure, it undoubtedly played a part.

4 Audience Fatigue

American Assassin preceded another major spy thriller

Another issue beyond American Assassin‘s control may have been audience fatigue. In addition to competing with It, the movie also preceded the release of the franchise sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle by just a week. With Kingsman‘s bigger budget and name recognition, its arrival on the scene could have contributed to a sense of spy movie saturation. Furthermore, American Assassin also followed similar genre releases like The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Jack Reacher: Don’t Look Back in 2016, adding to the sense that the genre was overcrowded and putting viewers off a less-than-stellar entry.

3 Source Material

American Assassin used the wrong book

A key weapon in American Assassin‘s arsenal was that the movie was based on a series of successful novels. This back catalog is part of the reason why studios were hopeful that the movie could lead to a franchise. However, while American Assassin is chronologically the start of Mitch Rapp’s story, it is arguably not the best beginning. Initially, the plan was to adapt the New York Times 2008 bestseller Consent To Kill instead of Flynn’s 2010 prequel. While American Assassin helped explain the character’s origins, it is not the most well-known Rapp story. Instead, starting with Consent To Kill may have helped capture more of Flynn’s audience.

2 Casting

American Assassin nearly featured a superstar

Another element that may have contributed to American Assassin‘s poor box office performance is the casting of Dylan O’Brien in the lead. Best known for YA projects like The Maze Runner, the movie represented a jarring shift for O’Brien – with comparatively few of his existing fans likely to flock to a film like American Assassin. O’Brien’s casting feels like even more of a missed opportunity considering that Australian mega-star Chris Hemsworth was reportedly offered $10 million to play the part of Rapp. While Hemsworth couldn’t have fixed all the movie’s faults, he would have added genuine A-list credentials and been a box office draw.

1 Rating

American Assassin was more violent than its competitors

A final factor that may have limited American Assassin‘s box office potential was its content and hard R-rating. Unlike other mass-appeal action flicks, the movie featured graphic violence and gore, as well as torture and bad language, all contributing towards its distinctly adult tone. In explicitly aiming for an R-rating, American Assassin may have inadvertently alienated potential movie-goers more inclined towards a PG-13 feature. While many R-rated movies can be box office hits (as proven by It), typically films that can be seen by as many people as possible produce the best box office results.

American Assassin

Release Date

September 14, 2017

Director

Michael Cuesta

Cast

Kamil Lemieszewski , Sanaa Lathan , Trevor White , Dylan O’Brien , David Suchet , Scott Adkins , Andrew Pleavin , Michael Keaton , Taylor Kitsch , Shiva Negar , Navid Negahban

Runtime

111minutes