Universal's new Jason Bourne movie isn't going to have Jason Bourne in it. Nor Matt Damon. So what's going on? Answers lie within...
Last week, we reported the news that Universal had chosen Tony Gilroy to succeed Paul Greengrass in the director's chair for the fourth Jason Bourne movie. Gilroy has worked, in a writing capacity, on the three films to date, and also has a couple of solid directorial efforts under his belt (Duplicity and Michael Clayton). However, speculation immediately arose as to where that leaves Matt Damon. Damon has said, in the wake of the successes of The Bourne Ultimatum, that if Greengrass didn't do the next movie, he wouldn't either.
And it turns out that the actor has been as good as his word.
It's now been confirmed by Gilroy, talking to Hollywood Elsewhere, that this is a new direction for the Bourne franchise, and one that does not involve Damon.
The film is going to be standalone from the existing trilogy, and is going under the title The Bourne Legacy. That's the title of the book by Eric Van Lustbader, although the film won't be using the story from it. Instead, as Gilroy revealed, "This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one's replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter...this is a stand-alone project."
In short, Jason Bourne looks like he isn't even in it.
Gilroy added, "The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal," Gilroy added. "Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he's very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I'm building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy... the world we're making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne's return [down the road]."
It's an interesting direction, and in narrative terms, a logical way for the franchise to continue, even if it's not the most obvious commercial one. You can read more on what Gilroy had to say here, and we suspect that Universal is still gunning for a release at some point in 2012.