NBCUniversal has acquired all rights, excluding publishing, to Robert Ludlum’s “Jason Bourne” and “Treadstone” book series, in perpetuity. The deal paves the way for new installments for Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, a CIA assassin suffering from amnesia.
A source with knowledge of the deal tells Variety it was a highly competitive bidding situation that drew seven offers from both streamers and studios before a massive nine-figure proposal was brought back to Universal.
“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. “We’re energized to continue expanding the Bourne universe into the future with exciting new stories for global audiences.”
Jeffrey Weiner, chairman & CEO of Captivate Entertainment and the executor of Ludlum’s estate, added, “We are thrilled that the ‘Bourne’ franchise will remain at Universal. We look forward to working with the Universal team to expand the Bourne franchise across Universal’s varied platforms.”
With this new agreement, longtime Universal collaborator and producer Frank Marshall will continue to shepherd forthcoming installments of the film series, as he has from the beginning of the “Bourne” franchise, along with Captivate’s Jeffrey Weiner and Ben Smith. Captivate has managed the rights for the Ludlum estate since 2001.
Universal Pictures has released five Bourne films in the franchise: Doug Liman’s “The Bourne Identity”; Paul Greengrass’ “The Bourne Supremacy,” “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “Jason Bourne”; as well as the Jeremy Renner-led spinoff, “The Bourne Legacy,” directed by Tony Gilroy. The films have collectively grossed more than $1.64 billion at the global box office.
The franchise also reaches across the NBCUniversal enterprise with Bourne-themed video games, and merchandise, as well as a popular Universal Studios Orlando theme park activation, “The Bourne Stuntactular.”
The deal was brokered by WME which represents Captivate Entertainment.
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