Why Matt Damon decided to do another ‘Bourne’ movie
He explained his return to the franchise in a feature with ‘The New York Times.’
When Jeremy Renner took the reins from Matt Damon as the leading man in the fourth Bourne movie, The Bourne Legacy, in 2012, it felt like a telltale sign that Damon had retired from the franchise for good. Even Damon himself later swore he wouldn’t return, at least not without the series’ original director, Paul Greengrass.
But then, after a few months of rumors, Damon announced in 2014 that he’d be Bourne again, and that Paul Greengrass was indeed returning to direct. The fifth Bourne film, Jason Bourne, is due out later this month. In a new feature from The New York Times, the actor explained what changed his mind.
“I thought I was completely at peace with the three movies, and I was so happy with how good they were and what the whole franchise had done for my career and my life,” Damon told the Times. “But when I saw [The Bourne Legacy’s] production offices, it hurt me in a way that surprised me.”
He said that, shortly after visiting the Bourne offices, he met with Greengrass to discuss the possibility of reprising Jason Bourne.
“At a certain point, I said to Paul [Greengrass], ‘People really want to see this movie, and that’s not something to turn our noses up at,’” Damon told the publication. “Having made movies that didn’t find an audience, I didn’t want to thumb our nose at this opportunity.”
Greengrass saw another Bourne movie as a chance to explore a theme in which he’s been interested. The filmmaker, a former journalist, positions his films in real-life political or cultural events; the Times cited Greengrass’s movies Green Zone, also starring Damon, and Captain Phillips as examples. The publication said the economic aftershocks of the 2008 financial crash provided “fertile ground” in the forthcoming movie.
“At heart, Bourne is a patriot who’s been betrayed by the institutions he believed in,” Christopher Rouse, Greengrass’s creative partner, told the Times. “Those are very identifiable feelings for people today.”
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