After the appalling The Bourne Legacy it looks as though the Bourne series is heading back to its action roots with an appearance from the original Jason Bourne, Matt Damon.
During a red carpet interview with E! Online, the 44-year-old Bourne Identity actor revealed that he’s set to return to the franchise in 2016… and director Paul Greengrass will be joining him.
“It’ll be in 2016 when the movie will actually come out,” he explained. “Paul Greengrass is going to do another one and that’s all I ever said. I just needed him to say yes.”
But this isn’t the first time Matt Damon has been linked to the upcoming Bourne sequel. In fact, The Hollywood Reporter first revealed that Damon and Greengrass were in talks for the next Bourne film back in September.
Of course, after the rather abysmal The Bourne Legacy fans of the series will no doubt be pleased to see Matt Damon return… and presumably, the original Bourne timeline continue. After all, Paul Greengrass directed both the second and third instalments of the franchise, and it’s likely that this new film will want to edge its way around the events of the sub-par fourth film.
But will this new Bourne film quash plans for another Jeremy Renner instalment?
At the moment, it’s unclear what this means for the future of Aaron Cross – the latest CIA operative to fall foul of Treadstone and its successors. I can’t help thinking that it’s time to move on from that particular series of events… but Bourne producer Frank Marshall doesn’t see it that way.
“That movie is moving forward,” he insisted back in September. “It’s still in development. We’re working to get a script as soon as possible.”
Of course, whether or not that script ever sees the light of day is another matter entirely. And I can’t help thinking that Jason Bourne’s return will trump Jeremy Renner’s outing when it comes to the box office. But could this be the start of a wider Bourne franchise?
For now, we’ll have to wait and see.
What do you think of Matt Damon’s Bourne return? Will Jeremy Renner get to return as Aaron Cross? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
