Mitch Rapp fans were underwhelmed by his big screen debut in American Assassin, but a 2013 film works much better as an unofficial Rapp adaptation.

SUMMARY

 Mitch Rapp readers might prefer Olympus Has Fallen over American Assassin due to its similarity to Rapp’s debut novel, Transfer of Power
 Olympus Has Fallen essentially became the Rapp movie fans wanted, showcasing similar action and character beats.
 Despite their similarities, author Vince Flynn did not pursue legal action against Olympus Has Fallen or White House Down.

Fans had to wait many years for the character’s big screen debut in 2017’s American Assassin, but the best Mitch Rapp movie actually arrived years earlier. The Vince Flynn Mitch Rapp books have been compared to the likes of Jack Ryan or Jack Reacher, but they are their own unique blend of political thriller and action flick.

Rapp is a special operative who specializes in taking down terrorist threats against America, with the character having debuted in 1999’s Transfer of Power.

Rapp is a character who felt destined for the big screen, but the path to American Assassin was a surprisingly long one. After many actors were considered to play Mitch Rapp like Colin Farrell or Chris Hemsworth, Dylan O’Brien was cast, with American Assassin charting the character’s origin.

Had American Assassin 2 and other sequels happened, the logic was that O’Brien would grow into the role, but the film wasn’t enough of a success to warrant a follow-up. Despite the enduring popularity of the books, the character has yet to receive a live-action reboot.

Olympus Has Fallen Is A Better Mitch Rapp Movie Than American Assassin

Mike Banning and Mitch Rapp share a lot in common

Olympus Has Fallen

R

Release DateMarch 21, 2013
DirectorAntoine Fuqua
CastMorgan Freeman , Gerard Butler , Aaron Eckhart , Rick Yune
WritersCreighton Rothenberger
Budget$70 million
Studio(s)FilmDistrict

In 2013, two competing White House siege movies arrived within months of each other: Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down. Despite being R-rated and having a smaller budget, Olympus won the box office race by being released first.

Mitch Rapp readers weren’t long pointing out the similarities between Olympus Has Fallen and Transfer of Power, which both find their heroes having to save the President when terrorists take over the White House. While American Assassin felt like an overlong episode of 24, Olympus Has Fallen was more in line with the Rapp film readers wanted to see.

24 season 7 predates Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down with a storyline involving a terrorist takeover of the White House.

Gerard Butler’s Mike Banning is a more down-to-earth figure than Rapp, but in terms of skills, they’re fairly evenly matched. Both are experts in hand-to-hand combat and firearms and have a shared habit of ignoring orders and taking a blunt-force approach to fighting terrorists.

Transfer of Power was more of a slow-burn story than Olympus, which largely favors action over suspense. Regardless, Olympus Has Fallen is as close to a Transfer of Power movie as readers will likely get, and is overall just a more entertaining watch.

While American Assassin’s ending may have implied a sequel, Olympus Has Fallen succeeded in one area the former failed in; launching a franchise. The movie’s producers (via TwinCities) had plans to adapt Flynn’s Kill Shot as a sequel, but the movie’s modest financial returns ruled one out.

The Has Fallen movie franchise, on the flipside, is three movies strong, with TV spinoff Paris Has Fallen expected to arrive in 2024. What’s interesting is that Banning’s distaste for terrorists is heightened further in London Has Fallen, with the character feeling even more in line with the Rapp featured in Flynn’s novels.

Gerald Butler Was Previously Attached To A Mitch Rapp Movie

Butler was nearly the first actor to play Mitch Rapp

If Olympus Has Fallen feels close in spirit to the Mitch Rapp books, that might be because its star and director nearly tackled the character first. The original plan was to adapt the sixth Rapp novel Consent to Kill, which involved the globe-hopping agent being targeted by a Saudi billionaire after Mitch killed his terrorist son. This leads to a particularly personal battle of wits since Rapp’s pregnant wife Anna is also placed in danger. During this period, three actors were being considered by CBS Films for the Rapp role; Colin Farrell, Matthew Fox and Gerard Butler.

Olympus Has Fallen director Antoine Fuqua was also attached to helm Consent to Kill during this time. Of CBS’ casting choices, Butler would have been the most obvious candidate, especially if they planned an ongoing franchise.

Casting for Consent to Kill was never officially confirmed, however, since CBS eventually shifted focus to American Assassin instead. Since this prequel novel charted Rapp’s origin, producers felt that was a more organic starting point.

The Olympus Has Fallen/Transfer Of Power Controversy Explained

The similarities between the two weren’t lost on Mitch Rapp’s creator

Olympus Has Fallen and Transfer of Power share the same basic setup, which even prompted a response from Vince Flynn (via FlickDirect). The author stated he was aware of Olympus and White House Down, but that he wouldn’t be pursuing any legal action against either. In short, there was no proof the films were directly inspired by Transfer of Power.

It is exceptionally difficult to prove in court, costs lots of time and money and usually amounts to a great deal of frustration. My team and I have decided to stay focused on the Rapp Franchise-writing one great Rapp novel a year and getting American Assassin made into a movie.

Tragically, Flynn never got to see his creation on the big screen, as he passed away in June 2013. The similarities between Transfer of Power and Olympus Has Fallen still comes up among Mitch Rapp fans, and they do share some plot beats, including the way the terrorists infiltrate the White House. Even so, the original treatment for the movie was registered in 2002 with the Writer’s Guild of America before the spec script was finally sold in 2012.

If the movie was created with any intent of ripping off Flynn’s novel, the fact it sat gathering dust for nearly a decade is a strange way of going about it. Mitch Rapp fans can view Olympus Has Fallen as an unofficial Transfer of Power adaptation if they wish, but a closer look reveals many, many differences between them.