UPDATE: Deadline adds Joel Edgerton, Josh Hartnett, Paul Dano, Michael Pitt, Oscar Isaac, Michael Fassbender, Luke Evans, Alex Pettyfer and Benjamin Walker to the mix.
Variety revealed this evening Universal is currently preparing to fill the shoes of Matt Damon in the continuing of the Jason Bourne saga, The Bourne Legacy, and they offer up five names as rumored candidates the studio and filmmakers are looking at. Making the list are Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Garrett Hedlund, Taylor Kitsch and Kellan Lutz.
Gyllenhaal recently failed to inspire domestic moviegoers with Prince of Persia, but should Source Code do well in April perhaps his stock will rise. Nothing about Maguire’s resume says “stealth assassin” to me, so his name is a bit of a curiosity. Hedlund played local yokel Beau Hutton in Country Strong and, like Gyllenhaal, delivered uninspiring numbers on a blockbuster effort with TRON: Legacy.
Kitsch is probably best known to movie watchers as Gambit from X-Men Origins: Wolverine and to TV fans as Tim Riggins from “Friday Night Lights.” However, he’ll next be seen as the lead character in Disney’s John Carter of Mars and he also has a role in Peter Berg’s Battleship, perhaps making him prime for a major tentpole franchise. Finally there’s Twilight actor Kellan Lutz who will try to break away from the Edward and Bella franchise this year as Poseidon in Tarsem Singh’s Immortals.
Before we judge, don’t think about comparing these names to Damon. The character they will be playing won’t be Jason Bourne as the new film is being developed around a new character, a move that will help maintain the franchise namesake as well as allow for Damon to return in future installments should the spin-off be successful.
Everything said, looking at the names assembled, I remain unmoved. None of them interest me. Gyllenhaal seems too obvious, Maguire does nothing for me, Hedlund gets a big negative from me and the other two don’t move the dial. I’d prefer a complete unknown, and I would actually like to see them fill this role with a non-white actor. Along with the Bourne name, it seems like a perfect opportunity to make a fresh start with a minority actor at the head of a major studio franchise. Just an idea of course. And no, I don’t mean Tyrese, or T.I., or Chris Brown. I mean an actor, someone along the lines of Idris Elba, though I assume he’s probably a little too old for the role they’re trying to fill. Maybe Edgar Ramirez? Who cares if he already starred (and died) in The Bourne Ultimatum?
As far as the new film’s progress, Universal has already tapped the Bourne trilogy scripter Tony Gilroy to write the fourth installment as well as direct it. Gilroy recently told Hollywood Elsewhere, “The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal. Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he’s very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I’m building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy… the world we’re making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne’s return [down the road].”
He continued, “Everything you saw in the first three films actually happened, and everyone who got into [it] will be rewarded for paying attention. We’re going to show you the bigger picture, the bigger canvas. When you see what we’re going and see what we’re doing it’ll be pretty obvious… but Jason Bourne’s activities in the first three films is the immediate trigger.”
Universal has already set a August 3, 2012 release date for The Bourne Legacy, which means casting could be coming very soon.
