While Universal is hot for a new Bourne movie, development has been slow – to say the least. There’s been script problems that led Paul Greengrass to drop out of the project. Star Matt Damon has said that he’ll only do the movie with Greengrass, but he’s still sticking around the property, so either he’s changed his mind or he really believes Greengrass will be back.
At any rate, Damon tells Empire that while his next Bourne film is at least five years out, Universal might be looking to seal the gap with a Young Jason Bourne movie. “There’ll probably be a prequel of some kind with another actor and another director before we do another one,” he said to the magazine.
That sounds incredibly optimistic to me. And sort of naive. The reality here is that Universal won’t be spending to do a one-off Bourne prequel – they’ll turn this into a reboot, which is becoming ever so popular for fresh franchises. Especially if this ‘prequel’ makes some cash; everyone involved will be cheaper than a Matt Damon coming back for the fourth round and a Greengrass coming back for a third.
But maybe being on the inside has given Damon some insight into this decision that those of us who just consume the movies don’t have. Maybe there really will be a one-off Bourne prequel, possibly even one that paves the well for Jason Bourne to return to action in the modern day in the next film. I just wouldn’t count on it.
15 comments
Jesus Christ. You gotta be kidding me. Look, the Bourne series is not James Bond. The Damon's performance and the filmmaking style, love it or hate it, is the hallmark of these films.
So, the prequel covers the lead up to Treadstone? Or Treadstone-to-Identity? The whole supposed Julia Stiles forgotten romance thing?
If they reboot the franchise, will it involve action scenes that are possible to follow?
This whole "reboot" thing really does sadden me, ESPECIALLY involving the SPIDER-MAN franchise and how they can jus ttoss that in the garbage and pretend that never happened?? As for a BOURNE Reboot??? I pretty much thought The BOURNE ULTIMATUM wrapped everything up.. I know there are other BOURNE Novels out there, but which adaptation could they go with that moviegoers would support???
I hate the reboot idea here too…. but this is the second filmed iteration of Bourne anyway, so there is precendent.
Jesus wept.
I got no problem with sequels or remakes or reboots or even Tv adaptations, but sweet baby Jesus, spare me from prequels.
ENNNNOOOOOUUUUUGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Negotiation tactic.
Maybe its just me, but is anyone else detecting a flaw in the logic of this prequel? The whole point of the Bourne series is that he is in the dark about his past, if you take that away, its just another spy movie in an already overcrowded genre. His backstory is supposed to be a mystery, that's the only thing the Bourne series has going for it that seperates it from like a bajillion other spy movies!
Taken in the context of the interview, it seems that Damon isn't saying that they're definitely making a prequel, just that his return is so unlikely that they'll PROBABLY end up doing a prequel. Imagining it in Damon's voice, I think he's being more than a little sarcastic. Extrapolating bullshit theories from single lines in an interview seems dumb but, hey, don't let that stop the Oh Don Piano train. Remember: it's only bad when other sites do it.
At the end of the day, if Greengrass and Damon are wanting to put off an additional film in the Bourne universe then please let them do so. Furthermore the thought of rebooting the franchise, especially with a new director and lead is comparable to sticking someone's dick in a pudding. It might still be good pudding, and you could even add a another layer of even more delicious pudding, a well made and scripted fourth Bourne in this case, but no one's going to eat it ever because someone stuck their penis in it.
This could be kinda cool, think in the sense of a book or even Lost. They could introduce younger Bourne to keep the name in the public consciousness, then in the new Damon movie in the 'current' timeline they could have flashbacks with the younger Bourne that inform the current situation, without having a Kevin Spacey playing himself 20 years younger situation
Just leave it be, or give it a decent break. As far as a sequel goes, nobody needs to see Bourne reconnecting with his family, or trying to get back into some kind of normal life, that type of stuff can happen between movies, particularly if there's the best part of a decade separating them. As for a prequel, the treadstone / pre-treadstone stuff is compelling because it's largely left to the imagination, a prequel would tarnish everything that follows.
Unfortunately, a reboot is probably the best case scenario, as Universal is likely incapable of waiting a while for more sweet sweet Bourne cash.
I think they should just the leave Bourne at the 3 movies they have. But, studios are never concerned with tarnishing something good.
I prefered the Doug Liman direction of the 1st film, but the action isn't "impossible" to follow in the Greengrass films either.
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