The Professional

The Professional (original title: Le Professionnel [lə pʁɔfɛsjɔnɛl]) is a 1981 French action thriller film directed by Georges Lautner. The film stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as the title role. The film is based on the 1976 novel Death of a Thin-Skinned Animal by Patrick Alexander. The film was a commercial success upon its theatrical release and was the fourth most watched feature film in France in 1981 behind La Chèvre, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Fox and the Hound, selling 5,243,559 tickets.