Amazon MGM Studios now owns the belovedJames Bondfranchise, and a big spy franchise is also looking for new ownership.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter,WME is looking for a new owner for the Jason Bourne franchise. WME and Robert Ludlum’s estate is searching for a company that canpurchase the rights to Robert Ludlum’s library, which includes the Bourne franchise.THRreported that Universal could buy back the rights, but Ludlum’s estate has talked to Netflix, Apple, and Skydance.
The most recent Bourne movie wasJason Bourne, which was released in 2016. The film also featured the long-time character Nicolette “Nicky” Parsons (Julia Stiles). Adapted from Ludlum’s novel series, the franchise is centered aroundMatt Damon’s character Jason Bourne, who has amnesia and was a CIA spy. AfterThe Bourne Identitywas released in 2002,The Bourne Supremacycame out two years later in 2004, followed byThe Bourne Ultimatumin 2007.TheBourne Legacyarrived in theaters in 2012, followed byJason Bournefour years later.Damon didn’t star inThe Bourne Legacyand, instead,Jeremy Renner played an agent named Aaron Cross.Fans of Netflix spy shows such asThe RecruitandThe Night Agenthave likely enjoyed the Jason Bourne movies as well.
Amazon has said theywon’t be changing James Bond much, and the Bourne franchise fans can also likely rest assured that the tone of the movies will remain the same.THRreported that it is unclear if Damon will come back as Jason Bourne. It’s hard to imagine another actor taking on this role. The character seems to be very special to Damon. In 2016, when he was promotingJason Bourne, he toldBBC.comthat he worked out a lot and ate a rigid diet to train for the role. He also said there were almost ten years between 2007’sThe Bourne Ultimatumand 2016’sJason Bournebecause theywanted to ensure there was a good story to tell. He said:
“It’s been one of those things that we wanted to do for a long time because we love the character… It’s a tough thing to earn an audience’s trust and so we didn’t just rush into it, we waited for 10 years or so and got a good story, and hopefully we’ve done something that people will want to see.”
TheBournefranchise has done incredibly well at the box office, and there’s no reason not to expect a new movie to do the same. According toBox Office Mojo, the first movie,The Bourne Identity, grossed$121,661,683and the most recent film,Jason Bourne, grossed $162,434,410.
In the years sinceJason Bournewas released in 2016,Damon has made some compelling career moves. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 2021 historical dramaThe Last Dueland also appeared in the movie as Jean DE Carrouges. He alsoplayed Leslie Groves in the 2023 hitOppenheimerand voiced Sunny in the 2024 animated filmIF.It’s unclear where the Bourne franchise will land next and what the next movie would be about, but fans definitely hope Damon will reprise his popular character and be back for another spy adventure.
