New Jason Bourne Update: The One Condition for Matt Damon’s Return

Jason Bourne might run again, but only if the stars align for Matt Damon and a very specific script. The new movie is moving forward behind the scenes, and the guy trying to steer it has a clear checklist.

Where the new Bourne stands

Back in November 2023, Edward Berger - fresh off All Quiet on the Western Front - started negotiating to develop and direct a new Bourne movie. At that point there was no script, and the plan was simple: nobody would even ask Damon to return until a finished screenplay existed.

Cut to now: Berger says the project is in development, and he still wants the job. But it all hinges on finding a take that feels fresh for Damon and isn't ground the franchise has already covered, especially the Paul Greengrass era.

"That's all in the stars. I'd love to do it, but it depends on the script... whether we can find something for Matt Damon to play that he hasn't before, and something that I don't feel Paul Greengrass or the other directors have done."

"Bourne has such a legacy. You don't want to make a film where people say, 'Ah, it's not as good as the others.' There are many hurdles."

Translation: Damon isn't signing on to run the same maze again, and Berger won't push go unless the angle is new. The approach is very inside baseball, but it makes sense for a series built on pace and paranoia - if you repeat yourself, the audience feels it.

So, is Damon in?

Not yet. The stance hasn't changed since 2023: finish the script first, then call Damon. If that screenplay gives him something he hasn't played as Bourne - and if Berger thinks it breaks from what Greengrass and the other directors already did - then it's a real conversation.

Quick Bourne refresher

• The Bourne Identity (2002): Damon's debut as amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne, based on Robert Ludlum's novel. He wakes up, realizes he was CIA-trained, and goes rogue to find out who tried to kill him.
• Sequels: The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and Jason Bourne (2016). Paul Greengrass directed most of the Damon-led follow-ups.
• Spinoff detour: The Bourne Legacy (2012) starred Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross, a black ops agent in the same universe.
• Rights update: In August, NBCUniversal acquired all rights to the Jason Bourne and Treadstone book series - a very corporate way of saying future installments just got easier to line up.

Bottom line: the new Bourne is developing, Berger is eager but picky, and Damon's return rides on a script that genuinely surprises him. If they crack that, the chase is on.