The Bourne Franchise Heading for a Reboot?

Bourne Franchise Getting the Spidey Treatment?

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (28)

According to Matt Damon himself, in a red-carpet interview with Empire Magazine (who said those things never generate news? Oh, me? Fuck), the Goon Squad over at Universal doesn’t know what the hell they’re doing with the Bourne franchise anymore — the hookers need more blow, and somebody’s got to making the green. After Paul Greengrass left the project, and after Matt Damon vowed not to work with another director, what’s a studio to do with a cash cow that’s bursting at the udders?

Buy another cow, apparently, And then slaughter the goddamn heifer.

The bad news: Damon thinks that Universal is “probably” planning a Bourne reboot slash prequel with a different actor and a different director. The good news: A Bourne IV may come afterwards, which is not the worst idea in the world. Maybe.

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

Maybe it does make sense — if there’s a five-year gap, might as well slot something in between, so long as the prequel doesn’t ruin the franchise before a Bourne IV comes along. The problem, I think, is that Damon is frustrated because there’s not a good Bourne IV script, so why the hell does anyone think they can come up with a good prequel script in the meantime. Hey! Instead of plowing cash into a prequel script, why not just plow it into a Bourne IV script? And everyone can plow Matt Damon in the meantime.

But then again, as Empire points out: It could present an interesting dynamic. The prequel will show what a villainous bad-ass Damon was before his accident, which could present an interesting contrast with what Bourne has become. An older, wiser bad-ass.

Or maybe they should just end the franchise where it’s at. Top to bottom, it’s my favorite action trilogy — there’s no point in ruining it. Fourth movies are never good, anyway (go ahead: Name one).

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Comments

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Nah, I'm just kidding. Good fourth movie is an oxymoron.

Posted by: Littlejon2001 at February 1, 2010 11:09 AM

Eh...I didn't cream for the original movies like everyone else in the world. I kept trying to watch them over and over and over -- and I just couldn't force myself to care, so whatever. Reboot. Prequel. I'm just going to fall asleep while watching it.

Posted by: superasente at February 1, 2010 11:11 AM

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Shadow of the Thin Man, Thunderball Just off the top of my head.

But a 4th Bourne will suck righteously unless Damon and Greengrass or Liman are involved.

Posted by: Adam C at February 1, 2010 11:13 AM

Hey maybe they can cast Zac Efron!

Maybe even get some Jason Patrick in there so he can bring some Oscar caliber gravitas to the bad guy role.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at February 1, 2010 11:14 AM

BarbadoSlim, you made me spit out my Lucky Charms.

Posted by: superasente at February 1, 2010 11:18 AM

May I humbly and sheepishly submit Rocky IV?

Who doesn't love Sly single-handedly ending the Cold War?

Posted by: dg at February 1, 2010 11:25 AM

I think both Rocky IV and Star Trek IV were decent enough 4th movies. Not great, but they were most certainly better than "bad".

Posted by: Forbiddendonut at February 1, 2010 11:37 AM

I don't dg, nothing worse than going to the movies with your friends in high school, and listening to people yell, "Kick his commie ass!" Followed by applause???

Thank whoever that the Russians were on the brink of collapse or they might have bombed us anyway.

Dustin your right, it should end just as it is because I really do not want to see Stiles get a bigger role. Plus what is left? The CIA was being brought to its knees, what is left to do?

Posted by: richmac at February 1, 2010 11:44 AM

I have a title for this project:

The Bourne Sodomization

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at February 1, 2010 11:45 AM

I thought the movies were based on a series of books. So doesn’t that mean there's already a template available for a Bourne IV script? Or do the books and movies have nothing in common besides the name of the main character and some government conspiracy theories?

Posted by: JustSmurfy at February 1, 2010 11:47 AM

"Damon is frustrated because there’s not a good Bourne IV script"

How about moving the fuck on? Seriously, since when did it become normal to whine about not having a decent script for a 4th installment. Remove head from ass and start looking around for a new goddamn idea.

Posted by: WestCoastPat at February 1, 2010 11:53 AM

JustSmurfy:

In the books, Jason Bourne is like 50 and is a professor at Georgetown and the chick is still alive. Basically, following the books isn't an option.

And also, isn't the new Damon movie basically Bourne in 2003 Iraq? Is anyone seriously checking for a new Bourne movie?

Posted by: kooling123 at February 1, 2010 12:07 PM

Fourth movies are never good, anyway (go ahead: Name one).

The fourth Lone Wolf and Cub/Baby Cart movie. Because they're all good (though I could take or leave the last one).

Posted by: Natrural 20 at February 1, 2010 12:14 PM

Maybe they could make the reboot follow more than the first oh, 10 pages of the source material?

Cause you know what? The three bourne books kick the movies asses. Hard. Those movies are nothing but a crappy fight scenes and poor editing.

Seriously. Read the first book. And then the second. He takes on the mythical "Carlos the Jackal" character, who is in fact an even bigger bad ass than bourne is.

The books have everything the movies don't: plot, character, drama, suspense.

remake the books.

Posted by: Some Guy at February 1, 2010 12:23 PM

Evidently we're reading different books. I've been trying to slog through "The Bourne Ultimatum" for almost two months. It moves with all the grace and aplomb of a slug dragging himself through cold, congealed oatmeal. And the writing! Oh, sweet merciful crap. The writing is just so, SO awful. If you hate a writer, just toss him this book and remind him that this series has made Ludlum a millionaire. Then laugh as he collapses on the floor.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at February 1, 2010 12:51 PM

I can't believe no one's gone with this yet, so I'll do everyone a favor:

I'd plow Matt Damon.

Posted by: figgy at February 1, 2010 12:57 PM

As you'll kindly notice I said "read the first book. And then the second."
...

Posted by: Some Guy at February 1, 2010 12:58 PM

The shaky-cam shit for the action sequences has become so cliche already, so just let it die while it's still respectable.

Instead, how about Good Will Hunting II? You can never get tired of a troubled working-class genius putting smartass Harvard kids in their place. And I still want to bang Minnie Driver.

Or maybe a new Fight Club? Just as long as Jared Leto's face gets beaten to a bloody pulp again. (Hey, 30 Seconds To Mars, people. He's asking for it.)

Posted by: Gozer at February 1, 2010 1:02 PM

I didn't say I couldn't follow the plot -- "Dubliners" it ain't. I said it was slow and poorly written.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at February 1, 2010 1:07 PM

I don't understand why they do that....if the books were good enough to use as source material, why not, oh I don't know, actually use them as source material and not just inspiration for character names and a very, very broad outline? I know it's pretty much impossible to translate an entire book to film, but that doesn't mean you need to completely ignore it. And hey look, if there is already a book with a decent plot available you don't need to come up with one of those "original" ideas all on your own. I'd have thought Hollywood would love that.
Anyway, sounds like the Bourne books are moving closer to the top of my must-read-this-year list: plot, character, drama, suspense, oh my.

Posted by: JustSmurfy at February 1, 2010 1:07 PM

That's not really a reboot since they're not planning to go back over the territory trod by the first three movies. I think this sounds like a somewhat intriguing idea, though I don't know what actor they're going to get who will appear to be anything more than a pale shadow of Matt Damon in the role. Hannibal Rising, anyone?

It seems at this point that Hollywood thinks people want to go to the same movies over and over again. I guess that may be true.

Posted by: Gimpenstein at February 1, 2010 1:38 PM

Some Guy: I was shocked to discover this weekend that Carlos the Jackal is no myth. Ilich Ramírez Sánchez is totally a real dude!! That totally blew my mind -- I had no idea he was based on a real terrorist.

And there are some more Bourne books out there, but Robert Ludlum only wrote the original trilogy. So all the others are basically fanfic, IMO. BOO.

But, while I agree that the books > the movies, I still enjoyed the crap outta the movies.

Finally, dg: I love, love, love Rocky IV. So ossomly awful! "I must break you." AHAHAHA!!!

And the best training montage OF ALL TIME!!!

Posted by: Jelinas at February 1, 2010 1:57 PM

Back to the Future IV: where Doc and Emo Marty have to battle a genetically engineered Super Biff, the vengeful ghost of Krispen Glover, and for some reason Mr. Freeze, to ... do something with the thing ... whatever, we'll worry about the script later. Just make the poster and enough footage for a trailer, now!

Posted by: Leftylad at February 1, 2010 3:51 PM

So now its not enough that every other movie being released is either a remake, a sequel, or based on some canceled TV show, now everything has to be a reboot as well? Sheesh!

Posted by: John W at February 1, 2010 5:37 PM

Now I know why guys like Alan Moore hates Hollywood.

Posted by: John W at February 1, 2010 5:38 PM

Hmmm..I enjoyed the first film. But I think it was mainly because I was expecting it to suck (I HATE all the 'new' Bond movies etc. In fact, there's very few spy movies I like.

A friend bought me the second film and I couldn't even finish it. I thought killing off Franke Portente (sic?) was crappy.

Tracer - is the writing as bad as that tool Dan Brown? I have ceased communication with every asshole that recommended that book to me. I got through one paragraph... my mind and body were so repelled by the text that they almost re-enacted scenes from The Exorcist.

Posted by: Cadence at February 1, 2010 5:55 PM

Based on the last shot of the Bourne Ultimatum, I believe that the fourth one will be called "The Bourne Aquarium", where Bourne kicks ass under the sea.

Posted by: Agente Provocatrice at February 2, 2010 2:01 AM

WHY!!! theyve really only drawn from the 1st book so far. imbeciles

Posted by: falling at February 2, 2010 8:21 AM

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Bourne Franchise Getting the Spidey Treatment?

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