Loner Sam Larson has written a fictional novel, Memoirs of an International Assassin, but is struggling with the last line. After his good friend Amos tells him a wild story about the assassin Ghost, Larson incorporates this into his novel. Published online, it is reclassified as nonfiction, retitled True Memoirs of an International Assassin.
Now a bestselling author, Larson is kidnapped and taken to Venezuela. He is awakened by El Toro, a revolutionary who wants the Venezuelan President Miguel Cueto assassinated. Believing the novel to be the truth, he tasks Larson with the job.
Larson escapes the revolutionaries, going to the nearest police station. Asking to be taken to the US embassy, he discovers they are the gangster Anton Masovich's henchmen, who demand money. Larson then calls his publisher, Applebaum, but believing that he is playing with her, she hangs up. Before the police can kill him, Larson is saved by DEA agent Rosa Bolivar.
Afterwards, Bolivar gets Larson to talk with Masovich. He asks Larson to kill El Toro, as he would be affected should the president be killed. Larson pretends to agree after seeing Masovich's violent behavior. Meanwhile, CIA agents William Cobb and Michael Cleveland meet with the president and General Ruiz about Larson, and decide to meet with him.
Larson and Bolivar, while discussing everything at a restaurant, are found by Juan, who takes Larson hostage. The men then talk about the situation regarding the President. Larson tries to get Juan to steal a truck, but in the process, he gets captured by General Ruiz. The general then tells Larson to kill Masovich (as he has too much power) or Larson will be tried and executed for his involvement with killing the president, prompting Larson to cooperate. Cobb and Cleveland, who noticed this, decide to get him killed by informing Masovich, who goes into a violent rage upon hearing of Larson's betrayal.
Larson updates Bolivar, who then admits she has always wanted to kill Masovich, as he caused the DEA to write her off. She devises a plan to humiliate both Masovich and the president. Larson initially refuses, stating he just wants to go home. They are then promptly attacked by Masovich's minions, and escape, but not before he gets shot in the shoulder.
Larson and Bolivar then return to El Toro's to infiltrate the inauguration ball and murder the president. When they arrive, Ruiz reminds Larson to kill Masovich. When Masovich spots Larson and attempts to kill him, Bolivar distracts him. Juan, disguised as a waiter, reminds him of El Toro's orders. After they dance, Bolivar and Masovich fight upstairs.
Larson tricks the president into confessing his plan to kill Masovich. However, when he realises he was recorded, being depressed and hating his life, promptly kills himself. Meanwhile, the fight between Bolivar and Masovich reaches the president's office and ends with Masovich dying of a gunshot wound.
General Ruiz arrests Larson and Bolivar, but sends them to El Toro's, where Juan apologizes to Larson for not believing him. El Toro hires Bolivar for the revolution, and takes Larson alone to kill him (as he knows too much). Cobb and Cleveland interrupt, as they are tasked to send him home. Larson is happy to go, but worried about Bolivar. At the airport, he escapes to save Bolivar, who is being held by El Toro for information. Just as Juan is about to kill her, Larson appears, armed.
Larson convinces Juan to fight El Toro and free Bolivar. However, they are defeated, and El Toro takes her in his helicopter. Juan convinces Larson to press on, so he follows them onto it. After a brief struggle, Larson finally kills El Toro, who remarks that he always knew he was the Ghost. Larson and Bolivar then jump out of the helicopter into water. Then, cornered by General Ruiz (who plans to take over the country), he is about to kill them, but then is shot by Amos (the real Ghost), who disappears.
Six months later, Juan is the president of Venezuela, with Bolivar watching. Cobb and Cleveland remark that he will be hard to control and that they hate the Ghost. Larson is again a bestselling author, after releasing his latest, which includes some of his Venezuelan adventures. Asked if the book is true in a TV interview with Katie Couric, Larson says it is a work of fiction.
Cast
Kevin James as Sam Larson (pretending to be the assassin known as "The Ghost").[2]
The film's script, titled The True Memoirs of an International Assassin, written by Jeff Morris, appeared on the 2009 Black List of best un-produced screenplays.[7] The story revolves around an accountant and author, Joe, who is mistaken for an assassin when his fictional novel The Memoirs of an International Assassin is accidentally published as nonfiction under the title The True Memoirs of an International Assassin.[7] On May 6, 2015, Kevin James was cast in the film to play the lead role.[2]Jeff Wadlow was hired to re-write and direct the film, which Merced Media would finance, while PalmStar and Global Film Group would produce.[2]Todd Garner and Kevin Frakes would also produce the film along with Raja Collins and Justin Begnaud, and Merced's Raj Brinder Singh.[2] On May 19, 2015, it was announced that Netflix had bought the worldwide distribution rights to the comedy-drama film at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.[8]
On October 20, 2015, Genesis Rodriguez signed on to play the female lead role as an undercover DEA agent.[9] On November 12, 2015, Andy Garcia joined the film to play El Toro, a Venezuelan revolutionary leader.[4]
On November 23, 2015, Rodriguez left the project due to injuries incurred during the film rehearsals; she stated on her Instagram that "it is with huge disappointment that I have to announce I got injured during rehearsals of True Memoirs and I can no longer continue".[10] Following her leave, on the same day Variety reported that Zulay Henao had signed on to play the female lead as a DEA agent who blows her cover to help rescue Joe from the drug lords.[3] On December 7, 2015, Kim Coates joined the film,[6] and additional cast was announced in February 2016, which included Maurice Compte, Kelen Coleman, Andrew Howard, Rob Riggle, Leonard Earl Howze, and Yul Vazquez.[5]
Filming
Principal photography on the film began on November 16, 2015, in Atlanta and then moved to the Dominican Republic, where it wrapped on February 12, 2016.[5] The crew included cinematographer Peter Lyons Collister, production designer Toby Corbett, costume designer Lizz Wolf, and film editor Sean Albertson.[5]
Release
The film was released on Netflix on November 11, 2016.[1]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 0% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 3.8/10.[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 37 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[12]
