Bourne 4

Tony Gilroy to Direct THE BOURNE LEGACY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 4th, 2010 at 2:11 pm

Universal is reportedly in negotiations with writer-director Tony Gilroy (Duplicity) to helm the fourth Bourne film, tentatively titled The Bourne Legacy.  Gilroy recently turned in the script that he was hired to write back in June.  Paul Greengrass chose not to return to the series back in December 2009 and franchise star Matt Damon has indicated that he’ll only return if Greengrass comes back.  Deadline reports that Universal will make the film whether Damon returns or not, which makes it sounds like the script has Jason Bourne as the star again rather than a relaunch with a new character.

Since they can’t get Greengrass back, getting Gilroy as a replacement is a solid choice since he’s written all of the Bourne movies and has shown himself as a capable director with Duplicity and Michael Clayton.  The Bourne Legacy was previously slated for a 2012 release but Deadline says that Universal hasn’t locked in a firm timetable just yet.

Matt Damon Says Liberace Biopic to Shoot Next Summer; Keeps BOURNE 4 Hopes Alive

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 6th, 2010 at 12:23 pm

Originally set to shoot this summer, Steven Sodebergh’s Liberace biopic starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon has been pushed back to summer 2011.  Filming was delayed when Soderbergh decided to go forward with the world-spanning thriller Contagion instead (which will also star Damon as well as Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Marion Cotillard).  Now, according to the Las Vegas Sun [via The Playlist], filming has been slightly delayed, but Damon says he’s still on board to play Liberace’s lover Scott Thorson and Douglas is still set to play Liberace.

But if flamboyant 60s entertainers aren’t really your thing, how would you like to have your emotions toyed with by having Damon not completely rule out a return to playing Jason Bourne?  Hit the jump for more.

Tony Gilroy Hired to Write BOURNE 4, Tentatively Titled THE BOURNE LEGACY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 9th, 2010 at 4:45 pm

Universal has hired Bourne trilogy screenwriter Tony Gilroy to pen a treatment for the fourth installment in the franchise.  Tentatively titled The Bourne Legacy, the film will be based on book written by Eric Lustabader in Ludlum’s series.  Gilroy wrote the screenplay for all the previous Bourne movies. Deadline reports that Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley will return to produce and that the picture is set for a 2012 release date.

The big question is whether Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass will return.  The answer to that question is probably “No.”  Damon has said that he’ll only return if Greengrass directs and Greengrass has made it clear that he has no intention of doing so.  Deadline speculates that Gilroy’s involvement (plus a potentially-ridiculous payday) could lure Damon back.  I’m leaning towards what Damon speculated could happen: that a new actor would take on the Bourne identity (no pun intended) so it would be like the James Bond films except the series would acknowledge a new actor in the role.  And not to read too much into it, but the title “The Bourne Legacy” would indicate that Bourne has bequeathed something to another person.

Matt Damon Says Jason Bourne’s Next Adventure Will Be a Prequel

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 1st, 2010 at 8:54 am

You can’t keep a good spy down, but you can dig deeper into his past.  In a red carpet interview with Matt Damon, Empire learned that the next Bourne film is looking like it will be a prequel.  Says Damon:

“There’ll probably be a prequel of some kind with another actor and another director before we do another one,” he said, “just because I think we’re probably another five years away from doing it – we’ve got to get a script…”

This sounds like more of a stopgap than a real Bourne movie.  Maybe it’s because I’m too attached to the Damon/Greengrass mix but I’m not sure what a prequel has to offer.  The whole point of the Bourne trilogy is Jason Bourne’s attempt to discover his past.  By the end of The Bourne Ultimatum, we know what happened to him and so any new ground would probably just be a random mission featuring the character.  On the bright side, we could see his training process and how he learned to kill someone with a rolled up magazine.

Matt Damon Believes Paul Greengrass WILL Return for BOURNE 4; Also Provides Updates on LIBERACE and TRUE GRIT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm

Steve is currently at the press junket for Clint Eastwood’s Invictus and while there he was able to get updates from Matt Damon on Steven Soderbergh’s biopic Liberace, the Coen Brothers adaptation of True Grit, and most importantly, what’s happening with Bourne 4 now that director Paul Greengrass has left the project.  Damon provided brief updates on all of these in less than a minute.  It was impressive.

According to Damon, they’re still waiting on a script for Bourne 4 but that he’s planning to wait for Greengrass and when Greengrass wants to do it, they’ll do it.  He also says that he won’t make a fourth Bourne without Greengrass but he’s optimistic that the director will return at some point down the road.  As for Liberace, they’re planning on shooting it in the summer, and he confirmed he’s playing the role of La Beouf in True Grit which he’ll be shooting in March.  Hit the jump to read the transcript.

Is Paul Greengrass Finished with the BOURNE Franchise?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 30th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

The Playlist (who have become heavy hitters with exclusives) is reporting that director Paul Greengrass, the critically acclaimed helmer of The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93, and the upcoming Iraq War-thriller Green Zone, will not be coming back for a fourth Jason Bourne adventure.  The break apparently comes from two factors: Greengrass is upset at Universal because they didn’t consult him on who they hired to write the Bourne 4; likewise, Universal is upset at Greengrass because he’s turned Green Zone, which was supposed to be a small film to keep Greengrass happy in between Bourne flicks, into a $150 million Iraq War movie (which have never been a hit at the box office).

Obviously, after three films together, Matt Damon’s loyalty lies with Greengrass and wouldn’t even consider doing a 4^th Bourne, “at least not without [Greengrass'] blessing and even then, it would have to be a spectacular script.” Of course, the grand irony in this is that it seems like every other week we’re reporting on some new movie going into development that’s supposed to be Bourne­-like yet the actual Bourne franchise will miss its intended Fall 2010 start date unless somehow everyone kisses and makes-up (unlikely, but possible) and they manage to get a good script (always possible).  Personally, I think Green Zone already looks like an unofficial fourth Bourne movie and I think Ultimatum was a great finisher to the series.  We’ll keep you updated but whatever Greengrass decides to do next, I’ll be anxious to see it.

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design