I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the surprises that have landed during the 2025 movie schedule are not all coming to a theater near you just yet. Just as we saw the chatter around Amazon-MGM’s now-confirmed James Bond hirings promising a new era of change for 007, we also learned that Universal will now be competing to recapture the rights to Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series.
On the one hand, should the studio keep its grip on the Matt Damon-fronted franchise, Edward Berger’s legacy-quel pitch could still be in the cards. But as a fan who’s been showing up since The Bourne Identity in 2002, I’m actually confident that this is one of those cases where hitting the reset button on Project Treadstone is a good idea.
The Bourne Rights Are Up For Grabs Again, And That’s A Pretty Big Opportunity
Before we get too deep into tradecraft, let’s have a quick debrief on what’s going on. Previously reported intel has indicated that we’re entering a Bourne saga bidding war. Universal sounds like it's still in contention, but rivals Skydance, Apple and Netflix are all looking to get in on the action thanks to the estate of Robert Ludlum entertaining this prospect.
The most recent status update on Matt Damon’s incarnation of Jason Bourne, a.k.a. “David Webb,” came at the end of 2023 - through the rumored Berger project previously mentioned. One has to wonder if that’s currently floating in the New York waters, waiting to awaken to the tune of “Extreme Days,” because as of right now, there’s no clue if that idea will survive. Putting that thought into the context of my thoughts on the series overall, that might not be the worst idea.
Hot Take: Even As A Fan, I Think Matt Damon’s Bourne Series Only Has One Notable Movie
I really do enjoy the Bourne movies, but as a fan, I need to admit to a huge caveat. Just as people have their choice(s) for the best James Bond movie, I tend to play favorites with these Robert Ludlum-inspired thrillers. Which means it’s time for me to put all of my cards on the table and admit that 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy is the only entry I’m actually quite fond of.
The Bourne Identity is ok, but you can really feel the awkwardness that came from the pressured production. Meanwhile, The Bourne Ultimatum felt like a slight let down, as it rehashed so much of Supremacy that it felt like a DLC add-on. As for The Bourne Legacy and Jason Bourne… well, those were certainly attempts at keeping the party going.
Nothing has ever lived up to the improvement of director Paul Greengrass’ first sequel, and that’s just my honest opinion. Which, in a way, speaks to another problem that’s been present since The Bourne Identity first dusted up theaters so long ago.
The Bourne Movies Were Never Really Loyal To Robert Ludlum’s Books
Throughout the entire history of the Bourne saga, the word “adaptation” was more of a suggestion than an actual description of what was going on. That wasn’t by accident, as a 2009 interview with The New Yorker saw Tony Gilroy sum up his feelings about Robert Ludlum’s original novels thusly:
They weren’t about human behavior. They were about running to airports. The filter that readers put on to read a certain kind of fiction is very forgiving
While still remaining a fan of most of what transpired under the Gilroy/Greengrass reign over these stories, the option for a book-accurate version of The Bourne Identity and its sequels could work rather well at this moment in time. It'd actually be a kind of full circle moment, as the first adaptation of the 1980 novel was a more faithful 1988 TV miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain.
Just as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan took that espionage adjacent character and gave us a more grounded version through John Krasinski’s CIA company man, seeing a more loyal adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s airport-friendly stories could work.
A Bourne Reboot Feels Primed To Take A Streaming Series Approach
While we’re talking Jack Ryan, the modern era of streaming series could be a fantastic new home for Jason Bourne. Pretty much each of the bidders involved outside of Universal have made their bones doing such things, as Skydance has Reacher and Cross under its belt, while Apple TV+ is home to Slow Horses, and Netflix has Bridgerton.
All are literary phenomena that have been given the slow burn approach, and we here at CinemaBlend have even highlighted The Bourne Identity saga as a literary hero ripe for a series adaptation. It would also be rather fitting to see this concept transpire, as that first adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s hero we previously mentioned was aired on ABC.
Universal Could Maintain The Jason Bourne Franchise Through James Bond Style Casting
Rebooting a series doesn’t always wipe the slate clean, which again brings us back to the James Bond series and how it has kept itself running through six decades. If Jason Bourne should remain at Universal, the studio could still execute a sort of “soft reboot,” which sees a new lead actor in the role.
At the same time, I totally agree that Julia Stiles’ fate from The Bourne Stuntacular should be canon. And if we open the 007 comparisons up a little further, she could be kept on board while a new actor plays Jason. Think of Nikki Parsons as the Miss Moneypenny to Jason Bourne’s Commander Bond. And no, The Bourne Legacy doesn't count because Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross was a totally different character in the Bourne universe.
Though just as Moneypenny is subject to change with every new James Bond, that role would more than likely be recast in a reboot. It’s a tricky subject, as we still need to wait and see who lands the property in their stable of entertainment. But no matter who wins, I think we’d all win by letting this project become Bourne again.
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