Assassin (2023 film)
{{Short description|2023 film by Jesse Atlas}}
{{Distinguish|The Assassin (2023 film)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Assassin 2023 poster.png
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Jesse Atlas
| producer = {{Plain list|
- Joel Shapiro
- Jeff Elliott
- Alex Eckert
- Thomas Sjolund
- Najeeb Khuda
- Gavin Lurie
}}
| writer = {{Plainlist|
- Jesse Atlas
- Aaron Wolfe
}}
| based_on = {{Based on|Let Them Die Like Lovers|Jesse Atlas|Aaron Wolfe}}
| starring = {{Plain list|
}}
| music = Mark Tewarson
| cinematography = Bryan Koss
| editing = Philip Harrison
| studio = {{Plainlist|
- Endless Media
- Brickell & Broadbridge International
- magiCity Studios
- Altamira Media
- 120db Films
}}
| distributor = Saban Films
| released = {{Film date|2023|3|31}}
| runtime = 87 minutes{{Cite web |title=Assassin (15) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/assassin-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdexmzy3|access-date=2023-03-29 |website=British Board of Film Classification}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = $132,005{{Cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt14555174/?ref_=bo_se_r_1 |title='Assassin' (2023) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=April 19, 2025}}{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Assassin-(2023)#tab=summary |title='Assassin' (2023) |website=The Numbers |access-date=April 19, 2025}}
}}
Assassin is a 2023 American science fiction action film starring Nomzamo Mbatha, Dominic Purcell and Bruce Willis in his final film role. It was directed by Jesse Atlas, in his feature film directorial debut, written by Aaron Wolfe, and is based on Atlas and Wolfe's short film Let Them Die Like Lovers.
Assassin was released by Saban Films in select theaters and VOD on March 31, 2023.
Premise
{{More plot|date=June 2023}}
A private military operation, led by Valmora, invents futuristic microchip tech that enables the mind of an agent to inhabit the body of another person to carry out covert, deadly missions. But when Agent Sebastian is killed during a secret mission, his wife, Alexa, must take his place in an attempt to bring the man responsible to justice.{{cite web |url=https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/bruce-willis-nomzamo-mbatha-in-sci-fi-action-assassin-trailer/ |title=Bruce Willis & Nomzamo Mbatha in Sci-Fi Action 'Assassin' Trailer |website=First Showing |first=Alex |last=Billington |date=February 9, 2023 |access-date=February 10, 2023}}
==Cast==
- Nomzamo Mbatha as Alexa
- Bruce Willis as Valmora
- Dominic Purcell as Adrian
- Andy Allo as Mali
- Mustafa Shakir as Sebastian
- Fernanda Andrade as Olivia
- Eugenia Kuzmina as Trainer
- Hannah Quinlivan as Special Agent
Production
On April 29, 2021, it was announced that Bruce Willis would star in Soul Assassin, a thriller film in which Nomzamo Mbatha and Dominic Purcell entered negotiations to star.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/bruce-willis-boards-feature-thriller-soul-assassin-1234747138/|title=Bruce Willis Boards Feature Thriller Soul Assassin|date=April 29, 2021|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429223911/https://deadline.com/2021/04/bruce-willis-boards-feature-thriller-soul-assassin-1234747138/|archive-date=April 29, 2021|url-status=live}} Filming began on June 15, 2021, in Bessemer, Alabama.{{cite web|url=https://www.varietyinsight.com/production_restart_full_view.php?track_id=190518|title=Film and TV Projects Going Into Production – Soul Assassin|website=Variety Insight|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506203244/https://www.varietyinsight.com/production_restart_full_view.php?track_id=190518|archive-date=May 6, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=May 6, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wsfa.com/2021/06/22/bruce-willis-others-shooting-film-bessemer/|title=Bruce Willis, others shooting film in Bessemer|date=June 22, 2021|website=WSFA|access-date=June 27, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://bhamnow.com/2021/06/23/photos-bessemer-is-hitting-the-big-screen-in-a-new-bruce-willis-movie/|title=Photos: Bruce Willis is filming a new movie in Bessemer|date=June 23, 2021|website=Bham Now|access-date=June 27, 2021}} In July 2021, Saban Films acquired the distribution rights to the film.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/festivals/saban-films-soul-assassin-bruce-willis-nomzamo-mbatha-1235015835/amp/|last=Hopewell|first=John|title=Saban Films Takes Soul Assassin Starring Bruce Willis, Nomzamo Mbatha (Exclusive)|date=July 9, 2021|website=Variety|access-date=October 23, 2021}} In the same month, Barry Jay Minoff was cast in an undisclosed role, while Jeff Elliott was revealed to have produced the film, through Endless Media Brickell & Broadbridge International, alongside 120 dB Films.{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/saban-bruce-willis-movie-soul-assassin/ |title=Bruce Willis Revenge Thriller 'Soul Assassin' Acquired by Saban Films |website=The Wrap |first=Umberto |last=Gonzalez |date=July 9, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2022}} In August 2021, Mustafa Shakir was cast in an undisclosed role.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ben-foster-will-smith-antoine-fuqua-emancipation-1235027315/ |title=Ben Foster Joins Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua's 'Emancipation' for Apple |website=Variety |first=Angelique |last=Jackson |date=August 3, 2021 |access-date=September 9, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/will-smiths-emancipation-adds-ben-foster-charmaine-bingwa-gilbert-owuor-and-mustafa-shakir-to-cast/ |title=Will Smith's 'Emancipation' Adds Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor and Mustafa Shakir to Cast |website=TheWrap |first=Brian |last=Welk |date=August 3, 2021 |access-date=September 9, 2022}} The film was retitled to Die Like Lovers and later to its current title Assassin.{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/die-like-lovers-things-to-know-about-the-upcoming-thriller-from-jesse-atlas|title=Die Like Lovers: 7 Things To Know About The Upcoming Thriller From Jesse Atlas|date=October 7, 2021|first=Rich|last=Knight|website=CinemaBlend|access-date=February 5, 2022}} By May 2022, Hannah Quinlivan and Fernanda Andrade were cast.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/global/bruce-willis-soul-assassin-hannah-quinlivan-1235174884/ |title=Bruce Willis' 'Soul Assassin' Adds Hannah Quinlivan, Closes Italy, Korea (EXCLUSIVE) |website=Variety |first=John |last=Hopewell |date=February 8, 2022 |access-date=September 9, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/fernanda-andrade-joins-finestkind-the-throwback-adds-michelle-randolph-1235017268/ |title=Fernanda Andrade Joins Paramount+'s 'Finestkind'; 'The Throwback' Adds Michelle Randolph |website=Deadline Hollywood |first=Matt |last=Grobar |date=May 5, 2022 |access-date=September 9, 2022}} Assassin is the final film of Willis's career. He retired from acting in 2022 after he was diagnosed with aphasia, and was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.{{Cite web |last=Rosenbloom |first=Alli |date=February 16, 2023 |title=Bruce Willis' family shares an update on his health and new diagnosis |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/entertainment/bruce-willis-dementia/index.html |access-date=February 18, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-30/bruce-willis-aphasia-memory-loss-cognitive-disorder|url-access=limited|title=Concerns about Bruce Willis' declining cognitive state swirled around sets in recent years|date=March 30, 2022|first1=Meg|last1=James|first2=Amy|last2=Kaufman|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 18, 2022}}
Release
Assassin was released by Saban Films in select theaters and VOD on March 31, 2023.{{cite web |url=https://movieweb.com/assassin-image-bruce-willis-final-movie-role/ |title=Assassin Image Reveals Bruce Willis in One of His Final Movie Roles |website=MovieWeb |first=Jonathan |last=Fuge |date=January 5, 2023 |access-date=January 20, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/bruce-willis-assassin-final-film-image/ |title=Bruce Willis' Final Film, Assassin, Debuts a First Look |website=Comic Book Resources |first=Jodee |last=Brown |date=January 5, 2023 |access-date=January 20, 2023}} The film was originally set to be released in September 2022, under the title Die Like Lovers.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/bruce-willis-final-movies-retires-aphasia-1235221244/|title=What's the Status of Bruce Willis' Final Movies?|date=April 1, 2022|first=Angelique|last=Jackson|website=Variety|access-date=April 21, 2022}}
=Box office=
=Critical reception=
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|9|4|11|ref=yes|access-date=March 2, 2025}}
Dennis Harvey, of Variety, gave the film a negative review, writing that "the multinational cast seems assembled for reasons other than serving defined character needs. None of them are able to rise above the vague material".{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/assassin-review-bruce-willis-1235567376/ |title='Assassin' Review: Bruce Willis' Farewell Film Doesn't Hold a Candle to His Career Highs |first=Dennis |last=Harvey |website=Variety |date=March 29, 2023 |access-date=April 7, 2023}} Richard Roeper, of Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film a 2/5 rating, saying "it's sad to see Bruce Willis in his final film, lacking his trademark twinkle".{{cite web |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2023/3/28/23657207/last-bruce-willis-movie-review-assassin-nomzano-mbatha |title='Assassin': It's sad to see Bruce Willis in his final film, lacking his trademark twinkle |first=Richard |last=Roeper |author-link=Richard Roeper |website=Chicago Sun-Times |date=April 3, 2023 |access-date=April 7, 2023}} Robert Kojder, of Flickering Myth, gave the film a 1.5/5 rating, summarizing that it's "an illogical and dull flick that doesn't even thrill when it shifts into action mode".{{cite web |url=https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2023/03/movie-review-assassin-2023/ |title=Movie Review – Assassin (2023) |website=Flickering Myth |last=Kojder |first=Robert |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=April 6, 2023}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|14555174}}
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:2023 directorial debut films
Category:2023 independent films
Category:American independent films
Category:American science fiction action films
Category:Features based on short films
Category:Films shot in Alabama
Category:2023 science fiction action films