Jack Black is Jason Bourne.
Well, not really. They share the same initials, and there the similarities end.
But Black has signed on to an untitled action comedy that is, essentially, a comedy version of The Bourne Identity. So, imagine Empire’s Bourne In 60 Seconds video, add about 90 minutes longer, some actual jokes and talented actors, and you’re on the right path.
In the new comedy – which is set up at Universal, home of the Bourne franchise – Black will play an amnesiac American who washes up on Cuban shores and gradually becomes convinced that he’s a super-efficient secret agent. The reality, though, is very different. Hilarity ensues etc. etc.
As a pitch, we like it a lot and think it could be a role tailor-made for Black’s comedic stylings. It’s almost as if it was written for him by two guys who spent a lot of time with him in the last year or so – and hey, guess what…?
Yes, the film has been written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who wrote Kung Fu Panda, and so have plenty of experience writing for Black’s unique voice. But that’s not why we’re excited about this. We’re excited because Kung Fu Panda also featured some incredibly innovative action sequences, and if Aibel and Berger can repeat that here, then they should be on to a winner.
Universal picked up the pitch from Aibel and Berger for a cool seven-figure sum. Black will produce through his Electric Dynamite company, along with his partner Ben Cooley.
So, readers? Excited about this? Worried that it will be a straight spoof of Bourne? Or do you just want to see Kung Fu Panda 2? Leave your thoughts below.