By Gavin Boyle
Beating out six other bidders, NBC Universal has secured the rights to the Jason Bourne franchise in perpetuity, along with author Robert Ludlum’s Treadstone series.
“Since its debut in 202, the iconic Bourne franchise has reshaped the spy genre with groundbreaking films that set new standards for cinematic action,” said Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer. “We’re energized to continue expanding the Bourne universe into the future with exciting new stories for global audiences.”
“We are thrilled that the Bourne franchise will remain at Universal,” added Jeffrey Weiner, the chairman and CEO of Captivate Entertainment and executor of Ludlum’s estate. “We look forward to working with the Universal team to expand the Bourne franchise across Universal’s varied platforms.”
The Bourne series has seen five movies since the first one released in 2002. Along with the most recent Daniel Craig-led James Bond movies, the Bourne series helped revive the spy movie genre and focus it on realism over movie magic gadgets.
Related: JASON BOURNE’s Next Adventure Might Not Be What You Expect
Across the five movies, the Bourne series has grossed over $700 million, reaching over $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office. The first three movies follow Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, a CIA superagent who turns on the agency after performing years of dirty work. While the movies are high in action and intensity, they also feature redemptive morals. A portion of Movieguide®’s review of the most recent movie reads:
JASON BOURNE is a fast-paced, exciting and nearly perfectly executed thriller (one sequence seems a little repetitive). It has a light moral worldview about finding out the truth and stopping a corrupt CIA official. It also includes some nuanced debate about balancing civil liberties with the need for security. JASON BOURNE has a lot of intense action violence, including assassinations. It also has a few strong profanities and other lighter foul language. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for JASON BOURNE.
NBC Universal has created all five of the previous movies, but allowed their rights to the franchise to expire in March of this year. Afterwards, a major bidding war occurred with those interested in acquiring the franchise including Netflix, Apple and Skydance, though Universal ultimately made the most attractive offer.
Though it remains unclear what NBC Universal plans to do with the Bourne series now that it has retained the rights, fans can likely expect to receive a new movie or TV show in the future. Whether Damon will return as Jason Bourne is also in question, especially given that Universal previously attempted to spin off the series with a new lead man through THE BOURNE LEGACY which starred Jermey Renner.
Read Next: What’s Behind the Amazon Takeover James Bond?
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
- Content: +2Share:
- Content: +2