Maybe it was wishful thinking on Universal’s part to get the sequel to THE BOURNE LEGACY up for release by next summer. But, if the indication just last week that the Justin Lin-directed film was getting a new screenwriter wasn’t enough, now comes official word that the studio is delaying the film an entire year.
Box Office Mojo lists the date shift moving the untitled fifth BOURNE film from August 14, 2015 to July 15, 2016. The vacated 2015 slot will be filled by STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON the biopic of N.W.A. starring Ice Cube‘s son.
THE BOURNE LEGACY was a decent action movie and Jeremy Renner did a decent job filling in for Matt Damon, but the absence of the star of the first three films was apparent, as was the direction of Paul Greengrass. There has been speculation that Universal wanted to partner Damon and Renner on the big screen for the fifth film which may be why the push is happening, to allow scripting time and to gain availability for both stars. The question now is whether Justin Lin will stay attached to direct.
Expect to see THE BOURNE LEGACY 2 or whatever they will call it on July 15, 2016.