Yes, it is true. Edward Berger, the director of All Quiet on the Western Front & Jack, is in talks to direct a new flick about super spy Jason Bourne. The upcoming film would be the latest entry in the successful Bourne franchise, which has brought in over $1.6 billion at the box office through five films (four of which starred Matt Damon). Jeremy Renner played Aaron Cross in the fourth Bourne film, which brought in $276 million despite receiving mixed reviews.
Many fans were therefore left to speculate as to whether the Mystic Pizza star would return to Universal Pictures’ acclaimed action franchise. During his recent visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Damon, 53, declined to confirm his presence in the next Bourne flick when the host brought up the topic. However, the actor did sense that “someone is going to need to take it over” eventually.
Still, Damon sounded enthusiastic about being in the upcoming movie and showered new Bourne director Edward Berger with tons of compliments.
Matt Damon Offers an Exciting Update on the Upcoming Jason Bourne Flick
After The Bourne Ultimatum concluded in 2007, fans were yearning for more of the action-packed thrills that had become synonymous with Jason Bourne. However, the franchise ran into a stumbling block when it decided to focus on another character, played by Jeremy Renner, in 2012’s The Bourne Legacy.
Despite Renner’s abilities and valiant efforts, the movie wasn’t able to make a lasting impression on fans and critics alike. As a result, the future of the Bourne film series appeared uncertain. However, Damon looked extremely happy as he gave an update on the upcoming Bourne flick on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
In regards to specifics regarding Bourne 6, the actor claimed that “no details have been given to” him. That being said, he did mention that director Edward Berger “had an idea” for the upcoming flick and was working on it at the time. Nothing in that quote suggests Damon is a part of Bourne 6.
The actor, however, praised Berger and seemed excited about the prospect of working on the movie with the “great” director:
“There’s a great director, named Edward Berger, who directed All Quiet on the Western Front. I don’t know if you saw it, it came out recently. Fantastic. A German director, he’s wonderful. And he said he had an idea. I would love to work with him!… At a certain point, someone is going to need to take it over. I’m not getting any younger.”
The Bourne Identity marked the start of the Bourne film series in 2002. The last film, Jason Bourne, came in 2016, with Damon reprising his role as the primary protagonist, the former CIA assassin Jason Bourne.
Jeremy Renner’s Failed Attempt To Take Over The Bourne Franchise
With The Bourne Legacy, Jeremy Renner took over the Bourne franchise after the Matt Damon-starrer trilogy. While the movie launched a new series, Renner did not return for Bourne 5. Although The Bourne Legacy distinguished itself from the previous films and held the interest of series fans, it did not capture the attention of viewers as the first three films did.
Eventually, it only made $276 million worldwide at the box office (via Box Office Mojo), indicating a poor performance. For this reason, the studio felt much safer having Damon return for the fifth Bourne film, which, somewhat surprisingly, took the series back to its previous height of box office success. Paul Greengrass’ film grossed $415 million worldwide.
There are not many action franchises that have had as much of an impact as the Bourne series. With Damon’s expected potential return as Jason Bourne, the franchise will surely rekindle the excitement and actions that made it a staple of the genre.
Jason Bourne (2016) is streaming on Hulu.
