Samuel L. Jackson's The Protege Gets a Release Date The Protégé, a new action thriller starring Marvel staple Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Green Lantern filmmaker Martin Campbell. The film, about dueling assassins, will also star Maggie Q and Michael Keaton. The film is set for a release on August 20. The movie will open against Bios, a Tom Hanks film, and the Paramount/Nickelodeon joint Paw Patrol: The Movie. Featuring a script by The Equalizer 2 screenwriter Richard Wenk, The Asset follows two of the world’s premier assassins, Keaton's Rembrandt and Maggie Q's Anna, who “share a mysterious past from Vietnam.”