Synopsis

After being mistaken for Carlos the Jackal, U.S. Navy officer Annibal Ramirez is recruited by CIA agent Jack Shaw and Israeli intelligence operative Amos for a dangerous covert operation. Because Ramirez closely resembles the notorious terrorist, he is trained to impersonate him, infiltrate his network, and manipulate the forces protecting Carlos. The mission gradually blurs the line between identity, loyalty, and deception.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was inspired by real events involving the pursuit of international terrorist Carlos the Jackal, although its specific characters and operation are dramatized.

• Aidan Quinn plays both Annibal Ramirez and Carlos, making the resemblance between the two central to the film's premise.

• The screenplay was written by Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai.

• The production was originally titled "Jackal." It was renamed "The Assignment" after another 1997 film, "The Jackal," starring Bruce Willis, was announced.

• The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 1997, before its U.S. release on September 26, 1997.

• Roger Ebert gave the film a strongly favorable review, praising its complex characters, layered deception, and action scenes that grow out of the story rather than functioning merely as spectacle.

• Although designed as a mainstream theatrical thriller, the film received only a limited release in the United States and Canada, which contributed to its relatively low profile.