When is $214 million considered not enough money? When you are Universal Studios, which owns the Bourne franchise. The superspy movie The Bourne Legacy, starring Jeremy Renner (as Aaron Cross) and directed by Doug Liman, made over $200 million at the box office; less than half the take of the previous installment, The Bourne Ultimatum, which starred Matt Damon. Head honchos at Universal must be pleased today, therefore, at the announcement that Damon will once again play Jason Bourne. Damon and director Paul Greengrass are reportedly in early talks for a sequel to 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum, itself the culmination of a trilogy in which Damon starred as an amnesiac agent on the run from the shadowy organization which brought him into existence. Greengrass directed Ultimatum and its 2004 predecessor The Bourne Supremacy, while trilogy opener The Bourne Identity had Doug Liman in charge of the cameras. Damon is only interested in reprising the role if Greengrass is involved.
So what does all this mean for Jeremy Renner? Renner is due to reprise the role of Aaron Cross in a film to be directed by Justin Lin; that project may now be put on hold to allow for the more successful Damon-Greengrass team.
