Jason Bourne's fourth movie outing back in limbo…

…and it’s all Paul Greengrass’ fault.

Variety reported late yesterday that Greengrass will not be directing the fourth film in the series which began with The Bourne Identity in 2002 and culminated in a metric ass-tonne of awesomeness.

The article quotes statements attributed to Greengrass from a press release from Universal Pictures:

Jason Bourne existed before me and will continue, and I hope to remain involved in some capacity as the series moves on… You won’t find a more devoted supporter of the Bourne franchise than me.

Of course, Greengrass’ statement is very quick to add this disclaimer-filled note:

My decision to not return a third time as director is simply about feeling the call for a different challenge. There’s been no disagreement with Universal Pictures. The opportunity to work with the Bourne family again is a difficult thing to pass up, but we have discussed this together and they have been incredibly understanding and supportive. I’ve been lucky enough to have made four films for Universal, and our relationship continues.

Writers Michael Fleming and Marc Graser think that it’s because star Matt Damon is already working with Greengrass on The Green Zone for Universal—which they say is being quietly marketed as “Bourne in Iraq”—and initial screenwriter George Nolfi on The Adjustment Bureau for Universal that this deal which had been previously semi-cemented in October 2008 is now falling apart.

And who can blame Greengrass, really? If you’re already making one movie about a kickass military man, do you really need to make a second one with the same actor?

Of course, Fleming and Graser have a cunning plan on how everything can be fixed. One of their scenarios has Nolfi impressing Damon on Bureau and that would lead the actor—who has been putting his creative oar in—to ask that the screenwriter return to the script and also be the new director. Their other scenario has Duplicity director Tony Gilroy stepping in because he’s also been one of the Bourne series writers to date.

Finally:

Or Universal could reboot the entire series from scratch with a new spy and director. The films were never closely tied to Ludlum’s books and any future pics could take creative license as well with a new cast, characters and situations.

I think I’d prefer to see what’s behind door number three, myself. Jason Bourne is a complex enough character in the original novels that turning out a whole new franchise about another one of Treadstone’s luckless runaways or doing a nouveau Casino Royale-style reboot where we see a different looking Bourne on one of his first missions wouldn’t be so bad.

Meanwhile, if you’re still hankering to see Damon kick ass, Green Zone will be released in the U.S. on March 12, 2010 and Bureau is filming as we speak.

Related Posts: George Nolfi is Bourne again