Bourne
Official franchise logo
Directed by	Doug Liman (1) Paul Greengrass (2–3, 5) Tony Gilroy (4)
Based on	The Bourne Series byRobert Ludlum
Music by	John Powell (1–3, 5) James Newton Howard (4) David Buckley (5)
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	2002–present
Countries	United States Germany[1] (1–3) Czech Republic (1)
Language	English
Budget	$490–520 million
Box office	$1.637 billion

TheBourne franchise consists ofactionthriller installments based on the characterJason Bourne, created by authorRobert Ludlum. The franchise includes five films and a spin-off television series.^[2][3][4] The overall plot centers around Jason Bourne, aCIA assassin suffering fromdissociative amnesia, portrayed byMatt Damon.^[5]

All three of Ludlum's novels wereadapted for the screen, featuring Matt Damon as the title character in each.Doug Liman directedThe Bourne Identity (2002) andPaul Greengrass directedThe Bourne Supremacy (2004),The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), andJason Bourne (2016).Tony Gilroy wrote or co-wrote each film except forJason Bourne and directedThe Bourne Legacy (2012).

Damon chose not to return for the fourth film,The Bourne Legacy, which introduces a new main character, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), a Department of Defense operative who runs for his life because of Bourne's actions inUltimatum. The character of Jason Bourne does not appear inLegacy, but mention of his name and pictures of Damon as Bourne are shown throughout the film.^[6] Damon returned for the fifth installment,Jason Bourne. Although the first three films are titled the same as the source novels, the stories of all five in the series are original being only conceptually inspired by the books.

TheBourne series has received generally positive critical reception and grossed overUS$1.6 billion. Notoriously, the franchise is also famous for establishingpost-9/11 gritty realism tone, heavy use ofshaky cam cinematography andfrenetic editing techniques (abetted by Greengrass' style) in modern filmmaking, most of which influenced action films around the late 2000s to the early 2010s.^[7][8][9]

A man is found floating in theMediterranean Sea with two gunshot wounds in his back and a device with the number of a Swisssafe deposit box embedded in his hip. He remembers nothing about his life before. Upon reaching shore, the man assumes the nameJason Bourne after finding a passport under that name in the safe deposit box, along with other alien passports, large amounts of assorted currencies, and a gun. He subsequently attempts to discover his true identity while countering attempts on his life by CIA assassins, eventually realizing that he is one such assassin who failed to complete his most recent mission. Bourne breaks his connections to the CIA and unites with Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), a woman who helped him learn about his most recent actions prior to his memory loss. Bourne's conflict with the CIA reaches a climax when he takes the fight to their doorstep.

Some two years after learning that he is a trained assassin and breaking his connections with the CIA, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is framed for a crime to cover up the true perpetrator. An attempt on his life by Kirill (Karl Urban), a member of the Russian secret service, results in Marie's (Franka Potente) death in India. Bourne, thinking that the CIA is hunting him again, proceeds to hunt those responsible for her death and his forgotten past. Bourne discovers that Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), one of the men who oversaw the program which trained Bourne to be an assassin (Operation Treadstone), had stolen millions of dollars from the CIA. Abbott had planned to frame Bourne for the theft, followed by assassinating Bourne in India. Bourne exposes Abbott to Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), the CIA officer in charge of finding Bourne, after which Abbott commits suicide in front of Landy. Bourne goes to Moscow where he is identified, resulting in a long car chase through Moscow, ending with Kirill's death. Bourne is in Moscow to find the daughter of Vladimir Neski, whom he killed in his first mission. He appears in her apartment and informs her that her mother did not in fact commit a murder-suicide, but that they were both killed as his targets. Bourne then goes back into hiding.

After six weeks of disconnection from his job, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) learns that a British journalist (Paddy Considine) has been investigating his past and contacts the journalist to find out the name of his source. Bourne is subsequently targeted by Operation Blackbriar, an upgraded Operation Treadstone, which also has taken note of the investigation. Believing that Bourne is a threat and is seeking revenge, Blackbriar's director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) begins a new hunt for Bourne. Bourne manages to take classified documents proving that Blackbriar has targeted U.S. citizens; he is aided by Pamela Landy, who disagreed with Vosen from the beginning and does not support Blackbriar's existence, and former Treadstone logistics technician Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles). She may have had romantic feelings for Bourne before his final mission and resultantamnesia. Bourne finally comes face to face with the person who oversaw hisbehavior modification as the first Treadstone operative some years earlier, memories of whichresurface. Those responsible for Treadstone and Blackbriar are exposed, and Bourne goes underground.

Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) is a member of Operation Outcome, a United States Department of Defense black ops program which enhances the physical and mental abilities of field operatives through pills referred to as "chems". Cross, deployed toAlaska for a training assignment, traverses rugged terrain to reach a cabin operated by an exiled Outcome operative. Meanwhile, Jason Bourne has exposed the Blackbriar and Treadstone programs in public, leading the FBI and theSenate Select Committee on Intelligence to investigate those involved. Retired Air Force Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton), who is responsible for overseeing the Beta program from which the CIA's Treadstone and Blackbriar were developed, decides to end Outcome and kill its agents. Cross manages to survive several attempts on his life and seeks a way to get more chems, as his supply runs out. Cross eventually comes upon Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), his last link to gain more chems. He discovers she has no pills but that his cognitive enhancements can be "viraled-out" and can become genetically permanent, so he would no longer need mental chems, as he had unknowingly already been "viraled-out" of physical chems 8 months prior. He, in turn, reveals to her that without the help of the mental chem enhancements, he possesses a well-below averageIQ. To avoid this mental regression, and the operatives hunting them, the two travel to a factory inManila and with Shearing's help, Cross initiates and survives the potentially fatal process of viraling-out of his dependency on the remaining mental-enhancing pills. Cross and Shearing, now fugitives, evade the Manila police as well as an operative from the new LARX program. The film ends showing they successfully escape from the Philippines as passengers on an old trading ship.

Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), whom Bourne sent into hiding inThe Bourne Ultimatum, gains access to sensitive CIA files. She contacts Bourne to share information about his past, including how he was recruited for Operation Treadstone and his father's role in that operation. Bourne learns that his father, Richard Webb (Gregg Henry), designed Operation Treadstone and was assassinated by the CIA because he did not want his son to enter the program and become a killer. CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) hunts down Parsons and Bourne using a foreign asset (Vincent Cassel) and the technical skills of CIA Cyber Ops Division head Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander), while Bourne plans to avenge his father's death. Bourne first tries to make the man who recruited him into the CIA confirm his understanding of his father's death. He then plans to avenge himself against Dewey. Meanwhile, Lee wants to bring Bourne back into the CIA's special operations and Dewey allows her to believe she has his support even though he plans to eliminate Bourne.

There is a subplot involving Operation Iron Hand, a surveillance program that will have secret access to a giant social media service called Deep Dream. In the past the CIA and Deep Dream have had a contract to work together, but Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed), its founder and CEO, wants to end this cooperation. When Dewey refuses to allow any such change, Kalloor plans to reveal his relationship with the CIA and its plans to violate the privacy expectations of Deep Dream's millions of users. Dewey plans to assassinate Kalloor before his planned revelations.

In November 2016, producerFrank Marshall acknowledged thatUniversal Pictures was optimistic regarding aJason Bourne sequel.^[10] By October 2019, Ben Smith—who has served as a producer on the franchise—confirmed that a film was in development. He said that the sequel would tie into theTreadstone television series.^[11]

In November 2023, it was announced that a sixth film was officially in development, withEdward Berger serving as director. It was speculated that Damon might reprise the titular role, although the alternative option was for a different character to lead the cast (similar toThe Bourne Legacy).^[12][13] In February 2024, Damon praised Berger as a director, but, at the age of 53, did not commit to reprising the role, should he be asked.^[14][15] In October 2024,Production Weekly reported that the title was listed asThe Bourne Dilemma.^[16][17] However, a few weeks later, Berger was vague about his involvement in the film, saying "It's really not clear whether… I'm doing that film or not",^[18][19] and that he was concentrating on his next film,The Ballad of a Small Player.^[20] As of January 2025^[update] bothIMDb andMubi show a new title ofJason Bourne Exodus, with original title cited asThe Bourne Dilemma.^[21][22]

On March 20, 2025, it was announced that Universal Pictures had lost the rights to the franchise. It was then shopped around, with potential buyers includingParamount Pictures,Netflix, andApple Studios. It is also unknown if Damon will return to reprise his role in later entries.^[23] Ultimately, rights to the franchise would return to Universal in perpetuity, with its parentNBCUniversal acquiring all rights excluding publishing to theJason Bourne andTreadstone books in a nine-figure deal announced in August 2025.^[24]

In April 2018,USA Network ordered a pilot for a series titledTreadstone, which was written byTim Kring. The series explores the origins of the Treadstone program and its sleeper agents associated with the agency.^[25] By August of the same year, it was announcedTreadstone will bypass the pilot stage in favor of a straight-to-series commitment from the network.^[26] In October 2019, producer Ben Smith confirmed that the television series has ties to the films, with the show having connection to a futureBourne movie.^[11] The series aired for one season before being cancelled in May 2020.^[27]

Director Doug Liman stated that he had been a fan ofThe Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum since he read it in high school. Near the end of production of Liman's previous filmSwingers, Liman decided to develop a film adaptation of the novel. After more than two years of securing rights to the book fromWarner Brothers and a further year of screenplay development with screenwriter Tony Gilroy, the film went through two years of production.^[28] Liman approached a wide range of actors for the role of Bourne, includingRussell Crowe andSylvester Stallone, before he eventually castMatt Damon. Liman found that Damon understood and appreciated that, thoughThe Bourne Identity would have its share of action, the focus was primarily on character and plot.^[29] Production was difficult, with screenplay rewrites occurring throughout the entire filming and Liman constantly arguing with Universal's executives.^[30]The Bourne Identity was released in June 2002.

Universal confirmed at a media conference inLos Angeles, California, that they have plans to release moreBourne films, despiteLegacy being given mixed reviews by critics.^[31] In a December 2012 interview, Matt Damon revealed that he and Paul Greengrass are interested in returning for the next film.^[32] On November 8, 2013,Deadline reported that the fifth installment in the franchise will feature Renner's Cross, withJustin Lin directing.^[33] Andrew Baldwin was attached for the film's screenplay writing. On September 15, 2014, it was announced that Damon and Greengrass will indeed return for the nextBourne film, taking the release date, with Renner returning as Cross in a separate film, at a later date.^[34] In November 2014, Damon confirmed that he and Greengrass would return^[35] with a script from themselves and film editorChristopher Rouse.^[36] On May 23, 2015,Deadline reported thatAlicia Vikander is in talks to star with Damon in the fifth film.^[37] In June 2015,Variety reported that Stiles will reprise her role as Nicky Parsons andViggo Mortensen is in talks to appear in the film as an assassin who's tracking down Bourne.Deadline reported that Vikander is confirmed to appear in the film.^[38][39] On July 28, 2015,Tommy Lee Jones was cast in a role in the fifth film.^[40] On September 1, 2015,Variety reported that French actorVincent Cassel is cast as the film's villain.^[41]

ProducerFrank Marshall confirmed principal photography for the new film had commenced on September 8, 2015.^[42] The film itself was released in the UK on July 27, 2016^[43] and in the U.S. on July 29, 2016.^[44]

The films have been noted for their "well placed", "understated" and "tastefully done"product placement of a "diverse" range of brands, which in the case of the third film, earned the producers tens of millions of dollars.^[45][46]The Bourne Identity features brands such asThe Guardian newspaper,BT Tower inLondon andTag Heuer watches.^[45]The Bourne Supremacy features mobile phones made bySony Ericsson.^[47]The Bourne Ultimatum features a total of 54 brands includingThe Guardian and BT for the second time;^[48][49] mobile phones made byMotorola,Nokia andCarphone Warehouse, most prominently theRAZR 2 andSLVR, as Motorola was a major sponsor and had amovie tie-in customized phone;^[47][49] cars made byBMW,Ford,Mercedes, andVolkswagen, most prominently theVolkswagen Touareg 2, as Volkswagen provided $25 million in funding;^[48][49][50] and technology products such asCTX computer monitors,Norton AntiVirus and theGoogle web search engine.^[49]

The scores of the first three films of the series were written by English composerJohn Powell, withJames Newton Howard scoring the fourth film,The Bourne Legacy. Powell returned, withDavid Buckley to compose the score of the fifth film. Powell was not the original choice as composer forThe Bourne Identity—a score for the film had already been composed byCarter Burwell and recorded by an orchestra, when director Doug Liman contacted Powell to provide an alternative soundtrack as he was dissatisfied with the music. Partly for budgetary reasons, Powell scaled down the orchestral score to a mostly electronic soundtrack with strings overlaid to give it a "cinematic feel".^[51]

The song "Extreme Ways" by musicianMoby is used as the end title theme of all five films.

TheBourne series has achieved both critical and commercial success.Ultimatum won threeAcademy Awards:Best Film Editing,Sound andBest Sound Editing.^[52] BothSupremacy andUltimatum won theEmpire Award for Best Film.^[53][54]

A theme park attraction based on theBourne films,The Bourne Stuntacular, opened atUniversal Studios Florida on June 30, 2020. The attraction combines live actors, special effects, and cutting-edge technology to create an immersive theatre experience that simulates Bourne on a high-stakes chase. The show features stunts, fight choreography, physical set pieces, cars, and a large-scale screen. Julia Stiles reprises her role from the film series during the filmed portions of the attraction.^[73]

• The Bourne Identity (1988 film) – 1988 American TV miniseries

• Bourne Franchise Box Office History atThe Numbers

• Bourne (film series)
• Action film series
• American action thriller films
• American crime thriller films
• American film series
• American spy thriller films
• Crime film series
• Films about the Central Intelligence Agency
• Film series introduced in 2002
• Spy film series
• Techno-thriller films
• Universal Pictures franchises

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