Filming got underway in Italy this week on Focus Features’ thriller The American starring George Clooney.

Anton Corbijn is directing the film, adapted by Rowan Joffe from Martin Booth’s 2005 novel A Very Private Gentleman about an assassin who risks his life when he reaches out to the local community on his final assignment in Italy.

This Is That’s Anne Carey is producing with Smokehouse’s Grant Heslov and Clooney, as well as Ann Wingate and Jill Green. Enzo Sisti is serving as executive producer. Focus Features holds worldwide rights.

Focus’ senior vice-president of production Kahli Small and creative executive Michael Pruss are supervising the project for president of production John Lyons.

“The combination of a visionary artist of the stature of Anton Corbijn with the great George Clooney is, for all of us at Focus, a movie marriage made in heaven,” Focus CEO James Schamus said.

Topics