Taylor Kitsch is set to join Dylan O’Brien and Michael Keaton in CBS Films and Lionsgate’s American Assassin, the movie adaptation of Vince Flynn’s bestseller. Michael Cuesta is directing the thriller from a screenplay by Stephen Schiff.

The pic follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (O’Brien) a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy 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 to stop a mysterious operative (Kitsch) intent on starting a world war in the Middle East.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Wechsler are producing. CBS Films is handling production and marketing and Lionsgate handling distribution as part of their tie-up.

Kitsch is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.