Who’s ready for a Jason Bournaissance? After an exhaustive battle with multiple parties, NBCUniversal has acquired all rights, excluding publishing, to Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne and Treadstone book series, in perpetuity. With all the necessary pieces falling into place, NBCUniversal can move forward with new installments of the crowd-pleasing espionage property.
“Since its debut in 2002, the iconic Bourne franchise has reshaped the spy genre with groundbreaking films that set new standards for cinematic action,” said Peter Cramer, President, Universal Pictures. “We’re energized to continue expanding the Bourne universe into the future with exciting new stories for global audiences.”
According to Deadline, Ludlum regained the rights to Jason Bourne after they’d lapsed at the studio with plans to hold a high-profile auction. Seven entities went to war over the prize, including two streamers, a big-time studio, and several entrepreneurial ventures. We don’t know what NBCUniversal paid to bring Bourne back home, but it’s said to be a “very large deal.”
“We are thrilled that the Bourne franchise will remain at Universal,” said Jeffrey Weiner, Chairman & CEO of Captivate Entertainment and the executor of Ludlum’s estate. “We look forward to working with the Universal team to expand the Bourne franchise across Universal’s varied platforms.”
Reports say Frank Marshall, who produced the Bourne film series, is returning to spearhead the following chapters of the beloved Foreign Service Officer Jason Bourne. In movie news, Deadline says Ed Berger is developing a new Bourne movie with Matt Damon eyed to return to the iconic role. Water cooler whispers suggest a script from Joe Barton is in hand, but the project still needs a green light.
Universal Pictures has five Bourne films, including Doug Liman’s The Bourne Identity, Paul Greengrass’s The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Jason Bourne, plus the Tony Gilroy-directed spinoff The Bourne Legacy, starring Jeremy Renner. There’s also the Bourne-related TV series, Treadstone, which focuses on the project that develops unstopable superhuman assassins.
Are you excited about the oncoming Jason Bournaissance? Should Matt Damon reprise the role of Jason Bourne, or should a new actor or character get introduced? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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