14 DAY TRIAL // The search is finally over: with Universal determined to move on with the Jason Bourne franchise even if Matt Damon doesn’t want the part anymore, a replacement has been found. He is, as speculated, Jeremy Renner.
We also noted on a couple of previous occasions that the movie studio is working on a fourth Bourne film, even after Matt Damon announced them that he was done with the part.
Consequently, the Jason Bourne character will be “retired” and replaced with a younger, similar one. Hence, the title “The Bourne Legacy.”
Deadline has confirmation that Renner will be taking over from Matt Damon, who made the Bourne character one of the most beloved of action / spy thrillers.
“Universal Pictures has formally offered Jeremy Renner the lead role in the Tony Gilroy-directed The Bourne Legacy,” Deadline says.
The only thing that’s still pending at this point is for Jeremy to sign on the dotted line.
“Renner, who has been nominated for Oscars the past two years for his work in The Hurt Locker and The Town, is expected to sign on quickly to play a new character in the spinoff film that begins production in September,” says the e-zine.
“Like the Jason Bourne character played by Matt Damon in the first three The Bourne Identity thrillers, Renner will play an operative from a covert government program that is even more dangerous than the Treadstone brainwashing program that hatched Bourne,” the report further says.
Some scheduling conflicts could possibly appear along the way, since Renner is also believed to be taking over from Tom Cruise in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, word online has it.
Nevertheless, the choice is an excellent one: not only is Renner talented, but he’s also perfectly able to do solid action, just like Damon.
In fact, this was precisely the reasoning with the big honchos at Universal when they settled for him, out of all the other contenders, Deadline says.
“The studio felt clearly that he was in a position similar to where Damon was when his career took off with Bourne. Renner is not a kid, but he is really hitting his stride and poised to become a big star after numerous strong performances,” says the e-zine.