It sounds like a new Jason Bourne movie is getting closer to becoming a reality. Joe Barton, the screenwriter working on the next installment of the spy thriller franchise, has revealed that Matt Damon has been reading pages from the screenplay and is enthusiastic about the latest material. However, there’s still work to be done before the project officially gets the green light.
As Radio Times reports, Barton discussed the project during an exclusive interview for their The Radio Times Writers’ Room video series. With his spy thriller series Black Doves returning to Netflix for its second season, Barton was asked about his progress on the next Bourne movie, which would bring Damon back as the amnesiac secret agent. Barton said,
“Matt… Mr Damon. My friend Matt was on The Odyssey press tour, and he was talking about it, so I guess it’s OK, I can say. But yeah, we’re trying to get that over the line, really. We’re sending pages to him, and he’s reading them, and he’s very enthusiastic about the last lot that we sent. It’s a really interesting thing, I respect it a lot – for Matt, it’s a character, franchise, that means a huge deal to him. He’d like to come back. There’s definitely a willingness for it to happen, and we’ve got this director Ed Berger, who’s amazing – All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave, and that all of those kind of things.”
sponsored content
Edward Berger has been attached to direct the new Bourne movie for a few years now. Berger is also currently attached to direct World War Z 2, with Brad Pitt returning to star in that long-awaited zombie sequel.
Matt Damon wants the next Jason Bourne movie to be worth making
Barton made it clear that Damon’s enthusiasm for the latest pages doesn’t mean the movie is guaranteed to happen. The actor still needs to be convinced that the screenplay delivers a story worthy of bringing Jason Bourne back to the big screen.
“But for Matt, I think it’s like, ‘Look, if we can get the script and the story to a place where I can’t say no and feel like it justifies itself coming back,’ then he’d be up for doing it, and I feel like we’re definitely getting closer and closer, hopefully. But yeah, we’re still in the process of seeing if that can happen.”
Matt Damon wants another Bourne movie to feel like the original trilogy
Damon has also recently discussed the possibility of returning to the franchise. While promoting Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, he spoke with Rich Eisen about the prospect of making another Bourne movie. Damon said that, if they do make one, he wants it to be more in the spirit of the first three films. He also pointed out that the Bourne movies have a continuing narrative, unlike the James Bond films, which generally follow a new mission with each installment. That continuity is an important part of what makes returning to the character a challenge.
Damon last played Jason Bourne in 2016’s Jason Bourne, which followed The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). The franchise also includes the Jeremy Renner-led spin-off The Bourne Legacy (2012). While the 2016 film earned more than $400 million worldwide, its reception was mixed, and Damon previously acknowledged that audiences hadn’t responded to it as enthusiastically as they had to the earlier movies.
For now, it sounds like the next chapter is making progress. Damon is reading the screenplay, Barton says the latest pages have made a positive impression, and Berger remains attached to direct.
Barton’s full interview for The Radio Times Writers’ Room will be available on Radio Times and YouTube beginning Monday, November 9.
Are you hoping Matt Damon returns for another Jason Bourne movie? And do you think Edward Berger is the right filmmaker to take the franchise forward? Let us know in the comments.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed