After briefly exiting the studio, Jason Bourne is making Universal his permanent home.
NBCUniversal announced today that it has acquired all rights, excluding publishing, to Robert Ludlum’s popular Jason Bourne and Treadstone book series, in perpetuity.
As the studio notes, the deal fortifies the future of the Bourne franchise across the NBCUniversal arms, and will pave the way for new installments for Ludlum’s beloved character and the spy world he inhabits.
The move follows the exit of the screen rights in March, when WME began shopping the rights to the spy franchise and the rest of the Robert Ludlum library on behalf of the late author’s estate.
“Since its debut in 2002, 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 in a statement. “We’re energized to continue expanding the Bourne universe into the future with exciting new stories for global audiences.”
Under the new agreement, producer Frank Marshall will continue to work on new installments of the film series. Marshall, who also produces the Jurassic World movies for the studio, has been involved with the Bourne movies since the very first one in 2002.
“We are thrilled that the Bourne franchise will remain at Universal,” stated Jeffrey Weiner, chairman and CEO of Captivate Entertainment and the executor of Ludlum’s estate. “We look forward to working with the Universal team to expand the Bourne franchise across Universal’s varied platforms.”
Jason Bourne sprung from the mind of novelist Ludlum, who published The Bourne Identity in 1980. Two decades later, star Damon and director Doug Liman introduced him to the big screen with 2002’s The Bourne Identity. The film, coming a few years before Daniel Craig’s grounded reinvention of James Bond with Casino Royale, ushered in a new era of spy movies that favored realism rather than high-tech gadgets.
It spawned two sequels based on Ludlum’s books, The Bourne Ultimatum (2004) and The Bourne Supremacy (2007). Universal extended the franchise with Jeremy Renner playing a different character in 2012’s The Bourne Legacy, but it did not stick. Damon returned a few years later with Jason Bourne, which earned $415 million globally.