The Bourne Franchise Seeks A New Home

The mission is now over at Universal Pictures for Jason Bourne with the rights to the spy franchise and the rest of author Robert Ludlum’s library now being shopped around by agency WME.

Skydance, Apple and Netflix are all reportedly said to have met with the estate for the rights. Universal could potentially win the rights back as well if it made a good enough bid.

The character of course is a creation of Ludlum with his 1980 novel “The Bourne Identity” which was adapted to film by director Doug Liman in 2002 at Universal Pictures.

Matt Damon starred in the role and played it across two superior Paul Greengrass-direted sequels with 2004’s “The Bourne Supremacy” and 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum”. Damon sat out 2012’s “The Bourne Legacy” but returned for 2016’s “Jason Bourne”.

Beyond a little-seen and poorly reviewed spin-off TV series “Treadstone,” the franchise has laid dormant ever since. It’s too early to call if Damon might be involved in a new iteration.

That original trilogy of films is often held up as an example of studio action filmmaking at its best and was a trendsetter in several ways – some for good such as more grounded and realistic tone to the genre, some for bad such as Greengrass’ much imitated shaky-cam aesthetic.

Universal considered a new Bourne relative recently with “Conclave” director Edward Berger hired to develop a new take, but it didn’t come fast enough.

Source: THR

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