Universal Boss Talks Up Bourne 5

Could Matt Damon return...?

Universal Boss Talks Up Bourne 5

by Ali Plumb |
Published on

The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Universal Pictures chairman Adam Fogelson recently, and in amongst the Ted-hugging and box office mathematics, there were a few titbits about where the studio is heading next, including some hints at what shape the fifth Bourne film will take.

"The point of [The Bourne Legacy] was to create a universe, a world and characters that give us a lot of freedom and flexibility in how we go forward. Yeah, the movie didn't perform the way the last one did. It also didn't cost what the last one did. It performed more along the lines of how the first one did."

The Jeremy Renner-helmed actioner from last year earned $276 million worldwide. The Bourne Ultimatum, meanwhile, earnt $442 million worldwide.

"I absolutely see us doing more Bourne, 100 per cent yes. Matt has talked about the possibility of coming back, and we totally respect that and are excited if and when he wants to have conversations. But I think the last movie gave us a big bunch of options to pursue a next chapter."

If you haven't seen The Bourne Legacy - and don't mind a couple of general spoilers about it - it centred around Renner's Bourne-a-like super special secret agent, though in this project the spies were genetically modified to be a better humans, with green pills topping up their brain and brawnpower.

Over the course of the film, Aaron Cross (Renner's character) manages to kick the meds with the help of sexy scientist Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) - using a process called 'viraling off' - and the two of them end the film on a Filipino boat, sailing into the sunset after evading The Man and his genetically modified goons. This, therefore, is the world Fogelson is referring to, with the other agency Übermensch projects simmering away and the pills and the goons and the whatnot.

Of course, Matt Damon has said on numerous occasions that he's reluctant to come back to the franchise that made him an action hero, sometimes citing general reasons, sometimes saying he'd need Paul Greengrass (the director of Bourne 2 and 3) back on board to even consider becoming reBourne.

Still, from the Universal camp it sounds like it's not totally out of the question, so set your fingers to crossed and rub whatever lucky rabbits' feets you have to hand if you want Damon to get back to his rolled-up magazine-wielding ways once more - though how the character will integrate with the new Cross storyline is definitely one for discussion in the comment box below.

The Bourne Legacy is out on Blu-ray and DVD now.

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