According to Deadline, Universal has commenced the early development of a new Jason Bourne film. The studio is looking to attach Edward Berger (helmer of Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front) with the project as its director. In addition, efforts are being made to get back Matt Damon for the film. Reportedly, representatives from Universal want everything in place for Damon to make him consider returning to the prominent spy action franchise.
When it comes to globally prominent and successful IPs, Universal has few. But the ones the studio possesses have shattered many records in terms of collections, such as Jurassic Park, Fast & Furious, Illumination, and, of course, Bourne. The Jason Bourne film series has grossed over $1.6 billion globally and is one of the high-valued film franchises at Universal. However, the thought of making a sixth Bourne film looks only good on paper. In reality, the situation is more complex to tackle.
The original Bourne trilogy consists of Identity (2002), Supremacy (2004), and Ultimatum (2007). All these spy action flicks are gripping, action-packed, stylish, and outstanding in every way, with Ultimatum being the best among them. In many ways, the third Bourne film felt like a perfect sendoff to Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne. But that feeling lasted for nearly nine years after Ultimatum’s release, as we got Jason Bourne (2016), the fifth film in the franchise.
The 2016 Matt Damon starrer felt like an inferior to the amazing spy action franchise. It had its moments, but it also suffered from several noticeable flaws, especially in terms of storyline and Damon’s character representation. The plot offered nothing new or exciting. Instead, it ended up leaving very little room for the franchise to grow in future. Many felt like the addition of Bourne’s father, Richard Webb, into the film’s storyline was unnecessary. The Paul Greengrass directional also received complaints for relying too heavily on the narratives of the first three films and action sequences.
Damon’s take on Robert Ludlum’s iconic character felt more natural and stylish in the original trilogy. On the other hand, the actor is nothing except a traditional rogue spy who goes against his spy agency (CIA) to make things right in the 2016 film. It is something that we have seen countless times on the big screen (Thank you, Tom Cruise!). Ultimately, the film works like an action-packed but hollow version of a cat-and-mouse game between Bourne and the CIA.
Even if Damon comes back to the Bourne franchise, what kind of storyline will we get in the next film? Will we see Universal making another cluttered attempt to explore the character’s past with Treadstone? Well, we could get more backstory about Bourne’s connection with his father, Richard Webb, who himself was a CIA analyst and significantly contributed towards the creation of the Treadstone project. However, the Treadstone storyline may not work this time as it has become mundane. There’s no gas left in it. Jason Bourne (2016) made sure of that.
Another thing that may work against Universal is Matt Damon’s age. The guy is 53 now! We cannot expect him to display the agility and skills of a young assassin.
There is one way through which Universal can justify the existence of a sixth Jason Bourne project: handing over Damon’s baton to a new character who is young. The actor’s successor can take the franchise in a new direction, which may benefit the studio as well. Let’s see how Universal handles this situation. Stay tuned for more updates.