Never say never, never say die. If you’re keeping score like we have—or feel obligated to do so—you’ll know Matt Damon keeps playing with our heart and toying with our emotions. The actor has essentially said, Jason Bourne is done, the character has finished his arc, and he’s even talked smack about the screenwriter Tony Gilroy and then quickly retracted it.
When Paul Greengrass walked away from the series after “The Bourne Ultimatum,” Damon walked too. But because he’s a nice guy and because the media keeps asking, Damon has been far less resolute about the fate of Jason Bourne returning to the series as played by Matt Damon. He’s basically left the ball in Paul Greengrass’ court and said, if he does it, I’ll do it (though knowing fully well that he and Greengrass already tried to make a fourth ‘Jason Bourne’ film and then walked away from it when they couldn’t come up with a good enough idea to keep the story going). But very recently he’s also suggested since there is a new ‘Bourne’ series with Jeremy Renner as the lead, they don’t really need his character anymore. He even punctuated that comment, saying the events of the “The Bourne Legacy” made it difficult for his character to even ever return (2013 reports that Paul and he were returning to the series proved to be false).
So after a lot of maybes and “if” we had a good script, Damon seemed to be finally putting a definitive no on ‘Bourne.’ But another day, another feeling. Damon recently talked to CNBC and kept the door open again in the same manner he always has: he’s open to it if Paul returns, if we have a good script, etc.
“I’ve always been open to it if Paul Greengrass is the director and … we’ve just never been able to come up with a story,” he explained yet again. “It felt like such a good way to end it the last time, but having said that I love that character… and I’d love to see what happened to him.” In short, well, don’t hold your breath unless Greengrass and Damon really need a hit badly and change their minds. Greengrass has moved on to other things and as long as Damon puts his participation in the series on Greengrass (who swears he’ll never make another one) that’s really the perfect scapegoat reason for him never to return.
But as we know, never say never. Maybe one day ‘Bourne’ series producer Frank Marshall will fulfill his “dream” of a Bourne film that stars both Renner and Damon. In the meantime, thanks to the only so-so success of “The Bourne Legacy,” Universal has taken the franchise in an anti-auteur driven direction (aka, let’s finally make some real money off this thing): Justin Lin of “Fast & Furious 6” is directing, Anthony Peckham (“Sherlock Holmes”) is writing the screenplay, and ‘Bourne’ screenwriting architect Tony Gilroy has also moved on. If these two new filmmakers feel very un-‘Bourne’ to you, well you’d be right to feel that way. You’ll find out in the summer of 2015.
"THE BOURNE LEGACY" was my second favorite film in the franchise, after "THE BOURNE SUPREMACY". On the other hand, "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM" came pretty close to being a crapfest, due to its numerous plot holes. It\’s such an overrated film.
If Damon wants to resume portraying Bourne, fine. I didn\’t miss him in "LEGACY".
It's a nice way to earn a living and it's going to be better because expectation will dictate policy, I don't suspect any less than everything and that's what it will be- anyway build it they will come the franchise is a cash machine – no one on the planet can produce those numbers but Damon- you'll see Jason Bourne again and he doesn't disappoint. The gauntlet has been thrown down once again. All non believers remember you were warned!
Legacy jumped the shark. Done with it.
This quote from the CNBC interview with Damon is THE reason why the first three movies were good:
"I had just as many concerns as anybody about doing an action move. In fact, I never signed up for three Bourne movies, I signed up for one, because I didn't even know if I'd like to make an action movieâ¦but it turned out that I loved it."
He signed up for one at a time so if the studio changed leadership and quality left the series he could leave too. And that's what he did. Smart guy, Damon.
If they can't come up with a good story, screenplay and movie with not just the oringal assets but Renner's side arc as well they are incompetent. Bond's been giong for 50 years, ask the Brits to give you a hand…
Seriously, Renner's character left off essentially in mid-stride escaping from pursuit leaving an obvious sequel opening. Once he closes that down, you can't tell me a decent writer can't create and arc bringing both characters together as enemies or allies (or both during the course of it).
If you ever watched a clip of Matt Damon being Matt Damon expounding on his love for Dear Leader Obama, you'd understand where the vapidity comes from (apparently he's flip-flopped on this more recently, unsurprising from a liberal tool).
On You Tube watch?v=EyLafU0OEY0
Just imagine the circus calliope music playing as he tries to go on about the rich, of which he is one while ignoring the many ways he and every other person like him structures their financial matters to avoid paying more taxes (when they say "he" made X million on a movie, its his production company that does, of which a lot of it gets written off).
I won't be surprised if Damon comes back to the franchise for next installments. He had series of boxoffice disappointments since Ultimatum. Another Bourn movie might help him to do more interesting non-Bourne films.
I think Damon needs to stop talking. Legacy was an ok film and Renner did a good job, that is not just my view it is the rotten tomatoes consensus. Considering the reviews I think the box office was actually good and shows people were open to change. If the next one has good reviews I think people will come anyway, but set it in Asia, add Lin's fans and following the next Avengers film in which Renner will have a much bigger part, the film could be huge. At that point would Universal be that interested in Damon? He has said he is not interested in integrating with the new stories/characters so will they throw all that away to accommodate Damon? It will also be nearly 10 years since Ultimatum, would he be up to it?
I enjoyed Renner in Bourne Legacy, and I'd hope to see him in the next entry, but this is with the hope that they actually enrich his character in the way they need to keep the series compelling. Peckham is a good writer and Lin knows how to shoot an action movie, unlike Tony Gilroy, but whether or not they're bourne-material…well, we'll see. I agree that Damon needs a damn good reason to return though, his story was pretty much wrapped before.
The Bourne Legacy was a disaster, a completely redundant film. Bourne is going to turn into another Die Hard, where the only reason to make them is to make money. I'm out.
Just like I said. Once Damon left, it was inevitably going to turn into a crapfest. I hate studios.