Tony Gilroy
Universal studios have signed Tony Gilroy one of the acclaimed writers of the Bourne series to direct and write a fourth movie entitled The Bourne Legacy. Gilroy made his directorial debut with the flick Michael Clayton which earned a best actor Oscar nod for George Clooney. He was signed back in June to write a screenplay for the fourth Bourne but it was only this week that news broke that Gilroy would be taken over directing duties.
Paul Greengrass who directed both sequels to the Bourne Identity left after a dispute over the writing of the fourth and his reported treatment by the studios. Matt Damon in a show of solidarity stated that he wouldn’t be interested in continuing without the director whom he worked with on the lackluster WMD flick Green Zone, which was a costly project supported by the studios in the hopes the two would return for another Bourne movie.
Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon on Bourne set
The film-making style of director Greengrass usually demands story rewrites on the fly and re-shoots if necessary, and the third flick was rumored to have been shooting with an incomplete script. This approach brings an organic and chaotic atmosphere which translates well for this genre but in a fiscal reality goes wildly over budget.
The studios have indicated that they want to move ahead with the series, preferably with Damon on board and it’s hoped that Gilroy’s appointment may be enough to lure the star back with the blessing of Greengrass. There are plans for further sequels with Gilroy being asked to map out a story bible for a proposed new series.
With the announcement of the new director it seems that studios are possibly in talks with Damon else it would be preemptive to announce the film as a sequel, not to mention a needless cash-in if they were considering recasting the role. If Damon declines then the film could be a reboot, and it would be a shame for him to knock back the offer to reprise one of his most successful and perhaps defining characters of his career. When star Matt Damon was interviewed on December 4th last year by MTV he shared his feelings about further films in the series:
Jason Bourne has resonated with audiences whose character is trapped within a personal struggle and a world of violence, and it’s always a captivating movie experience to watch the character discover a dormant memory then go on a hunt to find the truth. Fans have eagerly awaited another entry for years and watching Jason Bourne kick butt are probably some of the most exhilarating fight sequences captured and have encouraged others to imitate the style such as the 007 flick Quantum of Solace which many thought borrowed way too much from the Bourne franchise.
Should their be a sequel? Absolutely, if anything the door was left wide open in the third with the ending mirroring how we were introduced to the character in the first. Gilroy adapted all three films from Robert Ludlum’s initial book and the title of the fourth is taken from a follow up series by author Eric Van Lustbader though it’s thought only the title is being borrowed and the writer / director has his own story plans.
The Bourne Legacy is aiming for a 2012 release though at this stage no filming dates or casting confirmations have been made.
No comments yet.