After the boffo success of The Bourne Ultimatum, it certainly looked like folks were going to try to figure out a way to get Jason Bourne (and Matt Damon) back on the big screen as soon as possible. Problem was it seemed the story – about a secret agent with amnesia who's trying to track down his identity and clear his name – had come to its logical conclusion. Jason Bourne wasn't like James Bond (okay he was, but not really) in that there was a certain story to tell, and now that it's been told the hook (aka his amnesia) is gone. So what do you do?
Well, they tried to write a script, and both Damon and director Paul Greengrass said they'd return if the script worked. Evidently, however, the script (or ideas for a script) didn't work, because Greengrass dropped out and Damon went all "I can't see this happening anytime soon" on us. Now, though, Damon is throwing a different Bourne quote at the press – one that unfortunately mentions the word "prequel", which, in all honesty, may eventually turn into the dreaded "reboot". He told Empire on the Invictus red carpet in the UK, "There'll probably be a prequel of some kind with another actor and another director before we do another one, just because I think we're probably another five years away from doing it – we've got to get a script…"
As someone who's been doing this for awhile now, I'll tell you that if they decide to go the prequel/reboot route with another actor and director, then we're not going to see Matt Damon return to the character anytime soon. My prediction is that they reboot the franchise with a story that helps spread it out some more so they can continue it past three films instead of being forced into the kind of corner they're in now. Meanwhile, look for Universal to find another action film to reunite Damon and Greengrass on – something they can sell the whole "From the people who brought you the Bourne films" thing with. Oh wait, maybe that's Green Zone (due in theaters on March 12th)…or maybe it's not.
Which would you rather: a prequel, reboot or sequel?
