UPDATED: THR spoke to producer Frank Marshall, who denies the rumor.
It’s simply not true. […] Justin Lin is working with Andrew Baldwin on an Aaron Cross script/story that they pitched us a few months ago. I talk to Justin all the time and the script is not ready. It’s a summer movie, and if we don’t start pre-production now, we can’t make next summer. Therefore, it’s a wise decision to move to 2016.
ORIGINAL: Yesterday, THR broke the news that the fifth installment of Universal’s highly successful Bourne franchise had been pushed from its original August 2015 release date to July 2016. The official word was that the studio wanted to give the spot to Straight Outta Compton, the upcoming biopic of pioneering rap group N.W.A., but a new rumor points to a possible ulterior motive.
According to Latino Review, Universal bumped the release date to allow Matt Damon to return to the franchise in his signature role as Jason Bourne. The outlet acknowledges that Damon has gone on record numerous times saying that he wasn’t interested in reprising his role without the right story – but with Fast and Furious director Justin Lin at the helm, it looks like the right story may have been discovered.
Or, as Latino Review also points out, perhaps Damon’s underwhelming performance at the box office in recent years has renewed his interest in the franchise. After all, Damon’s last turn as the character resulted in a $442 million take at the worldwide box office, and is still the highest gross of any film that he’s headlined.
Of course, none of this information has been confirmed by the studio, or by Damon’s people. But Latino Review has faith in their source, who is “deeply embedded” and has allegedly been feeding them valuable inside information for more than a decade. If there’s any truth to this one, expect it to be revealed soon.
The untitled fifth Bourne film will be released on July 15, 2016.
bourne 5 justin lin matt damon universal