Ronin is a 1998 American spy action-thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, and Jonathan Pryce. Written by David Mamet (under the pseudonym Richard Weisz) from a screenplay by first-time writer J.D. Zeik, the film centers on a team of hired ex-special operatives trying to steal a mysterious and heavily-guarded briefcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties and alliances. The film is noted for its realistic car chases through Nice and Paris and its convoluted plot involving the briefcase as a MacGuffin.