No BOURNE 4 for Greengrass

Paul Greengrass has left the building.   The BOURNE building, that is, and, hopefully, it’s only temporary.   According to The Playlist, who cites sources and friends close to the project, Greengrass walked away from the project more than a week ago, and there has been trouble surrounding the fourth film in the BOURNE franchise since its inception.

Evidently, Universal opted to bring in a screenwriter to pen a “parallel” script to the one already written by BOURNE 3 and THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU scribe George Nolfi.   THE INFILTRATOR writer Josh Zetumer was brought in without any consultation with Greengrass on the matter.   According to The Playlist, though Greengrass was furious that Universal brought in a second writer without discussing with him, no one is very pleased with what Nolfi has crafted.

Meanwhile, Greengrass has, evidently, been spending Universal’s money like it is going out of fashion on the Matt Damon-starring Iraqi actioner, GREEN ZONE.   The budget for that film has swelled to $150 million while reshoots and time spent in the editing room abound.   Universal isn’t happy this much time and money is going into a film that was supposed to be a “smaller” film between BOURNE projects, and Greengrass feels he has made the company enough scratch from the BOURNE films to give him a little leeway.   Regardless, “creative differences” are what are being touted as the reasoning for Greengrass stepping away from the film.

BOURNE 4 was prepping to shoot in the fall of 2010.   With no set script in hand and director whose attachment is flimsy at best (there are rumors that this “stepping away” is so “Paul”), this start date seems less and less likely.   Damon, who is very loyal to Greengrass, probably wouldn’t be returning to the franchise without the director, anyway.   If Universal wants to get this film made and with Damon in the spotlight seat, they had better works towards getting Greengrass in a happier mood.