In the wake of Monday’s long-rumoured announcement, fans of the Bourne franchise assumed that the return of Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass would push Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross off the radar. However, it seems as though that may not be the case. According to Frank Marshall — long-time producer on the series — Universal hopes to run the two projects concurrently.
In fact, prior to the pair’s return, it was understood that a direct sequel to The Bourne Legacy was in the works for a 2016 release, with Renner reprising his starring role and The Fast and The Furious’ Justin Lin behind the camera. And while the studio wishes to get wheels in motion on the Damon and Greengrass project first and foremost, Marshall states that the follow-up to 2012’s reboot is still very much on the cards.
“That movie is moving forward. It’s still in development. We’re working to get a script as soon as possible.”
This all-encompassing strategy is due to the fact that while Damon and Greengrass have agreed to return for a fourth film, neither have put pen to paper on a specific deal. As such, Universal plans to keep all options open to ensure the franchise maintains its momentum going into 2016 and, specifically, that coveted July 16th, 2016 release slot that has been assigned to an untitled Bourne movie.
Only time will tell which project will eventually occupy the date, though given the groundswell of support for Damon’s return as Jason Bourne, it seems safe to assume that the Jeremy Renner-led series will be placed on the shelf momentarily.
Whether this paves the way for a crossover film in the future remains to be seen. Either way, we’ll have much more on Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass’ return to the Bourne franchise as it appears.