Don't Expect to See a 'Bourne' Crossover with Matt Damon and Jeremy Renner

Now that Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne, that leaves the question open what to do with Jeremy Renner's character, Aaron Cross, who took over the franchise in The Bourne Legacy. A sequel to that film has been put on hold while Damon and Paul Greengrass' get theirs ready for 2016, but surely Universal wouldn't waste the opportunity to put stars of this magnitude in the same? Jason Bourne vs. Aaron Cross for the brainwashed super-agent title? Well, don't hold your breath.

While speaking with Collider, producer Frank Marshall said their are no plans to crossover the characters...

Marshall: "We don’t have plans for that.  You never know.  I never say never.  But that’s not the plan.  They’re on separate tracks."

That would seem to indicate there are at least some plans for Renner's character, although I'm of the belief he is being quietly written out and the 'Legacy' franchise shut down. For one thing, the film didn't perform as well as the ones with Damon, which is understandable. But also because the director previously attached to a 'Legacy' sequel, Justin Lin, has moved on to Star Trek 3. However you know if Universal sees money in it they will find a way to have Cross and Bourne cross paths and likely punch one another in the face on motorcycles.

Anyway, the Bourne film from Damon and Greengrass will arrive on July 29th 2016.

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Matt Damon Confirms 'Bourne' Return for 2016

Never say never, right? In Hollywood, franchises never die and stars rarely stay away from them for long. Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass had stepped away from the 'Bourne' series after The Bourne Ultimatum and for years they never looked back, despite constant rumors to the contrary. But then earlier this year reports surfaced that the duo would be making their long awaited return to the spy franchise, and while further updates put a dose of cold water on the situation, Damon has now confirmed he and Greengrass are definitely back.

Damon and his pal Ben Affleck were making the rounds promoting Project Greenlight, and they confirmed to E! that the fifth Bourne film would begin shooting in 2015 for release the following year. Affleck dropped the news first....

Affleck: "Well, [Damon's] going to be doing a 'Bourne' movie next fall when I've just completely lost any semblance of physical fitness. So…."

That was followed by Damon, who confirmed Greengrass would be returning behind the camera...

Damon: "It'll be in 2016 when the movie will actually come out. [Director] Paul Greengrass is going to do another one and that's all I ever said. I just needed him to say yes."

He's got a point there, as Greengrass has been the more defiant of the two. With the director now on board, Damon in tow, it'll be interesting to see if any other familiar faces return. Tony Gilroy, maybe? July 15th 2016 was the originally planned date but it remains to be seen if that will stand. And what about Jeremy Renner's sequel to The Bourne Legacy? It's off the calendar for now and is expected to arrive some time in the future after after Damon's film.

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Details Emerge on Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass' Return to 'Bourne'

There can't a story as huge as Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass' return to the Jason Bourne franchise without a whopper of a backstory and a few toes getting stepped on. And apparently it's Jeremy Renner who may have a sore foot if Damon and Greengrass' film moves forward, or as THR puts it “Let's hope Matt Damon and Jeremy Renner don't bump into each other at a restaurant.”

Producer Frank Marshall, who has been backing up Damon's denials for years, has opened up about what's really going on and what it sounds like is things are still in the formative stages.

Marshall: "We're on two tracks. And if this one [with Damon and Paul Greengrass] comes together, great, but they're still just talking."

But if a deal comes together and everybody likes the "strong" direction Greengrass has come up with for another Bourne movie, it would mean Renner and Justin Lin's spinoff sequel to The Bourne Legacy is pushed back while Damon's would go first in the summer of 2016. There is another factor to consider here, as Greengrass is also set to direct Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio's film on '96 Olympic bombing suspect Richard Jewell. If Fox decides to greenlight that we may see his Bourne movie delayed.

Marshall insists that Renner's film is going to happen at some point and is being developed now...

Marshall: "That movie is moving forward. It's still in development. We're working to get a script as soon as possible." 

Ever heard of the "dreaded vote of confidence"? That's what this sounds like to me. The Bourne Legacy did well, but not that well, and if Universal can get Damon back for what audiences will always consider the "true" Bourne movie then why spend money on another? There's also the potential issue in Lin's availability as he's supposed to direct a few episodes of HBO's True Detective.

So there are still a few things to work out but my sense of this is that Universal really wants Damon and Greengrass, and the Renner thing has now become an afterthought. There's a lot of details to get figured out between now and whenever we see Jason Bourne or Aaron Cross on screen again.

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Fifth 'Bourne' Film to Reunite Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass!

Ever since Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass exited the Jason Bourne franchise after The Bourne Ultimatum, they've been fielding questions about a comeback. The constant speculation about it didn't leave a lot of room for Jeremy Renner's debut in The Bourne Legacy to get established, and while the film did okay it was one of the franchise's weakest. Meanwhile Damon has mostly stuck to saying he would only return if Paul Greengrass was with him, that is finally happening.

Deadline reports that Damon and Greengrass are coming back for a fifth Bourne film, and after so many denials by them and producer Frank Marshall this comes as a huge shock. The plan being put together by Universal would have Damon and Greengrass' move into the July 15th 2016 spot that was occupied by Renner and Justin Lin's film. So what is going to happen with that one? It's still in the works but will be pushed back until the original crew's is finished. Not sure how Lin and Renner are going to take being bumped aside as if they're the JV League, but let's be honest that nothing they were going to do would top what Damon and Greengrass have already accomplished.

This is still pretty fresh and additional details are bound to spill out soon.

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Producer Denies Matt Damon's Return for 'Bourne 5'

Aaaaaand another rumor touting Matt Damon's return as Jason Bourne has been given the boot. It was just yesterday a story surfaced that said Universal's recent decision to move the fifth Bourne movie to 2016 was all because Damon was making a comeback to star alongside Jeremy Renner. Sure, it was something that producer Frank Marshall has said he really wants to see happen, but apparently that time is not right now. Marshall was asked by THR about the rumor and he totally shot it down....

Marshall: "It's simply not true.Justin Lin is working with Andrew Baldwin on an Aaron Cross script/story that they pitched us a few months ago. I talk to Justin all the time and the script is not ready. It's a summer movie, and if we don't start preproduction now, we can't make next summer. Therefore, it's a wise decision to move to 2016."

And that makes sense because we had heard next to nothing about a sequel to The Bourne Legacy even though it was slated to open next year. When Baldwin was recently hired to start working on a new script it became clear a delay was going to be necessary, and all of this happened while Damon was sticking to his guns about not coming back unless Paul Greengrass did too. 

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Matt Damon Again Rumored to Return for Fifth 'Bourne' Movie

In the years since Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass' The Bourne Ultimatum a lot has changed with the franchise. The two famously dropped out of a fourth film, which turned out to be The Bourne Legacy and starred Jeremy Renner as new agent, Aaron Cross. But one thing that has stayed the same is Damon's insistence that he would not return unless Greengrass came with him. And it's not as if he was only asked this question once or twice, but seemingly every few months the subject would come up and get the same response. But now a new story has surfaced that suggests Damon has changed his mind.

According to a "trusted source" speaking with Latino Review, Damon is coming back as Jason Bourne in the next movie, even though Greengrass won't be joining him. Damon has always maintained that he loves the character, and maybe after a few less-than-stellar box office performances he figures now is a good time for a comeback. And this does come at a time when Universal has just bumped the film from its August 2015 date to July 15, 2016, and some speculation is it was done to free up time for the busy Damon. 

What would this mean for Jeremy Renner, who finally had a franchise to call his own? Would this mean his character would be killed off or fade into the background? Or maybe Damon's appearance is little more than a cameo? Andrew Baldwin was hired to start work on the script from which Justin Lin (Fast Five) will direct, but there are lots of questions left to be answered. That's assuming any of this pans out, of course, and given Damon's willingness to talk about the subject it won't be long before we hear from him.

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Matt Damon Still Open to Returning as Jason Bourne....Sorta

Been there, done that. Matt Damon threw in the towel on playing Jason Bourne after Paul Greengrass exited the franchise after 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum, and for the most part he hasn't looked back. He's stayed true to his comments that he won't consider returning unless Greengrass comes back, too, which seems highly unlikely. The franchise has moved on with Jeremy Renner taking over the lead role for The Bourne Legacy, while Damon and Greengrass have been plenty busy elsewhere. But the questions about Bourne keep coming, and Damon is still leaving the same door cracked he always has.

Talking to CNBC, Damon proves he hasn't budged on the issue one bit...

Damon: "I've always been open to it if Paul Greengrass is the director. We've just never been able to come up with a story... It felt like such a good way to end it last time. Having said that, I love that character. I'd love to see what happened to him." 

That's all well and good, but given Greengrass has stuck a dagger in any hopes of a return, that's not likely to happen and Damon knows it, which is why he's free to say stuff like this every year or so. Who knows? Maybe Universal will see the value of a Renner/Damon crossover and throw some extra cash Greengrass' way? Eh, probably not. Justin Lin is already slated to write and direct The Bourne Legacy sequel following the film's sufficient $270M box office.

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Paul Greengrass Kills Rumors of A Return for 'Bourne 5'

Even though reps at Universal quickly shot down rumors of Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon returning for a fifth Jason Bourne film, the talk persisted because nobody really believes what studios say anymore. But Greengrass has decided to let his voice be heard on the subject, and while talking to Empire he makes it clear he has no desire to delve into that murky world again.

Greengrass: “I’ve absolutely no idea. I’m not being funny but, no, that’s just a figment of someone’s imagination.”

The franchise has since moved on with a new star in Jeremy Renner, and a brand new agent in Aaron Cross. Despite The Bourne Legacy doing reasonably well at the box office, comparable to Damon's first outing in The Bourne Identity, there has been this attitude that it was only a matter of time before Damon and Greengrass would ride in and save the day. Greengrass has moved on to directing this fall's potential Oscar contender, Captain Phillips, and it sounds as if he's perfectly happy with Bourne in the rear view mirror.

Greengrass: “Um... listen, I loved the Bourne movies. I loved making them but it’s like anything in life, you’ve got to move on and do different things."

Universal are moving forward on Renner's next 'Bourne' outing, while Greengrass' Captain Phillips will open the New York Film Festival then hit theaters in October. He'll then move on to direct Aaron Sorkin's  The Trial of the Chicago 7.

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Are Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass Returning for Another 'Bourne' Film?

Earlier today, a story emerged that probably had those yearning for Matt Damon to come back as Jason Bourne very excited. Unfortunately it may not have been true. Twitch reported that Universal was in talks with Damon and series director Paul Greengrass to return to the franchise they both left after The Bourne Ultimatum.

The timing was suspicious, considering the studio just moved forward on a sequel to The Bourne Legacy, with new star Jeremy Renner as agent Aaron Cross. While 'Legacy' didn't exactly set the world on fire, it's numbers were comparable to Damon's first 'Bourne' outing, and enough for Universal to have confidence.

Even though he did slam series scribe and 'Legacy' director Tony Gilroy at one point, Damon has been generally supportive of the franchise's new direction. He's been steadfast on the point that he'd never come back without Greengrass, and with both lining up one project after another, a return to Bourne just didn't seem likely. Despite this, the rumors have never really stopped.

So now Variety reports that sources within Universal have denied the story, stating that there is no truth to it at all. Of course that could just be them pulling our legs until a proper deal is worked out, or maybe Twitch had it wrong all along. We'll just have to wait and see how this whole thing works out.

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Next Bourne to be a Prequel?

The mystery behind plans for a fourth installment of the Jason Bourne series has been as murky as the shadowy operatives' past. While speaking with Empire Online, series star Matt Damon was asked specifically about the project. What he had to say is surprising indeed...

“There’ll probably be a prequel of some kind with another actor and another director before we do another one,” he said, “just because I think we’re probably another five years away from doing it – we’ve got to get a script…”

Ok, Damon's a smart dude, and I believe that he chooses his words very carefully. He's not going to just throw something out there only to have to retract it later. The way he phrases this statement, to me, indicates that he expects to do another Bourne with director Paul Greengrass in a few years. Greengrass recently left the project to pursue other opportunities that had been on the backburner, such as his Bourne-esque spy thriller, Green Zone.

What caught my eye is this idea of a prequel with another director and actor. What would be the point? How young are we talking here? It's not as if Matt Damon is ancient. He can still pass for a man in his 20s if need be, so what would this entail? A teenaged Bourne? Bad idea. I can't believe this will happen. I expect we'll get one or the other. Either Greengrass and Damon return for a 4th film, or we get nothing at all. Or Damon relents on his promise to not work on another film without Greengrass and accepts another high profile director to helm the project. Maybe Doug Liman comes back on board? It's all just speculation at this point, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Personally, I'm kinda hoping they just back off from doing anymore Bournes. It's already such a perfect, mature spy trilogy that I don't want to see it fouled up. The problems this fourth film is already facing are unlike anything the previous three films experienced.

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Jason Bourne....No More??

Famed director Paul Greengrass(United 93, Bloody Sunday) has reportedly quit the upcoming 4th installment of the Jason Bourne franchise. Greengrass, who has directed the last two Bourne films, and in my opinion elevated them to legendary status, indicated there was no ill will between him and Universal Studios, but that he merely wants to do other things. Greengrass's next film is the Bourne-esque Iraq War thriller, Green Zone.

The 4th Bourne film, likely to be titled The Bourne Legacy, has faced a myriad of problems since it was announced. Legacy is based on the 4th book in the series, the first not written by Bourne creator, Robert Ludlum. Matt Damon is not currently attatched to the film, although Julia Stiles and Joan Allen have been approached to reprise their roles. The script was initially written by previous Bourne screenwriter, George Nolfi, but he left to do other projects. So another script was commissioned by yet another writer, so two scripts exist and neither has been greenlit so far.

There exists the possibility that all of these problems, including Damon's less than enthusiastic interest for the project as of now, could lead to the franchise's end. But I don't think that's likely. Universal would explore every other possibility before that happens, including rebooting the franchise with a new actor in the lead role the way so many other studios have done lately. So don't count on this being the end of the line for the superspy just yet.

Variety has more on the story here.

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