Bourne, Jason Bourne Again
Aaron Couch
There seems to be a bit of an epidemic with regard to spy-related IP entering periods of transition right now. Especially if the property carries the initials "JB":
Jason Bourne is emptying out his safe deposit box on the Universal lot.
WME is shopping the rights to the spy franchise and the rest of the Robert Ludlum library on behalf of the late author’s estate.
The goal is to find a new home for the franchise and make the superspy a more regular presence onscreen. Bourne last appeared nearly a decade ago in Jason Bourne (2016), from Universal and producer Captivate Entertainment, which manages the film rights for the Ludlum estate. It is too early to say if longtime star Matt Damon would be involved in the new iteration.
If people feel like it's now been a long time between James Bond films, consider that No Time to Die was released five years after the last installment of Bourne. Of course, Bourne doesn't have nearly the um, legacy, as Bond, nor the track record. Still, there were times over the past two decades when it felt like the newer franchise was pushing the elder spy in ways. In particular the first three films – Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum – which seemed to get better with each installment.
The attempt to slot in Jeremy Renner for Matt Damon didn't really work in Legacy. And while he wasn't trying to be Jason Bourne, it still had a bit of a George Lazenby-replacing-Sean Connery vibe – even though On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a very good Bond film! – and soon enough, Damon, like Connery, was back. The problem there was that the confusingly if transparently titled Jason Bourne ("don't worry everyone, Matt Damon is back") was the weakest of the films to date – though it still performed pretty well at the box office.
Anyway, who is in the running to snatch the IP?
Skydance, Apple and Netflix are said to have met with the estate for the rights. Universal, too, could potentially win the rights back if it made an attractive bid.
Not listed, of course, is Amazon. Which seemingly now has its hands full with their Spy IP. Of the ones listed, obviously Apple would be interesting for the same reasons they would have been a potentially good steward of Bond: they'll spend a lot of money on such prestige IP – and presumably Bourne would remain a theatrical play, even though Apple has been pulling back there. Netflix, of course, would like Bourne not to be a theatrical play if they bought the IP, which may be a sticking point as always with them (until they inevitably backtrack). Skydance makes some sense given what they've done with Top Gun and can make this a new Paramount tentpole – but they're seemingly having a hell of a time closing that deal.
Meanwhile, Matt Damon is 54 years old. Sean Connery last played Bond when he was 53. And that was in Never Say Never Again, the unofficial remake of Thunderball where even the title is a play on Connery's age (and comeback). Daniel Craig was also 53 in No Time to Die as obviously human beings age differently in the 2020s than they did in the 1980s.
Roger Moore was still the oldest Bond at 57 in A View to Kill. Even if Bourne is sold quickly, it would probably take until at least 2028 until we realistically saw a new Bourne film. Damon would be pushing 60. Does he really come back – Odysseus-style – or do they take the opportunity to do a full, younger reboot?
One more thing: I had totally missed that Edward Berger was hired back in 2023 to reboot Bourne. After his All Quiet on the Western Front work, he was tied to basically every bit of major IP – including, yes, Bond (and the Ocean's franchise reboot). Seemingly none of those are happening with Berger as of now. A Bourne Apple Immersive movie would be fun though.
M.G. Siegler
M.G. Siegler
M.G. Siegler