“But the question became, ‘What’s the story?’” “Everybody was excited to do another one,” said Frank Marshall, who’s produced all the “Bourne” films, including Gilroy’s new entry. When Greengrass thought scripts for a fourth film weren’t worthy, the series looked just like Bourne himself at the start of the initial production: dead in the water. Damon and Greengrass, who later would collaborate on'Green Zone,'said they didn’t want to make another “Bourne” film without each other. When we last saw Jason Bourne five years ago in that film, it appeared the trilogy’s amnesiac spy had come full circle, sorting out not only who he was but also where the government’s bad apples resided. While 2002’s “The Bourne Identity” was directed by Doug Liman, Damon and Greengrass collaborated on 2004’s “The Bourne Supremacy” and 2007’s'The Bourne Ultimatum,'the latter of which was the best-reviewed of the trilogy, the highest-grossing and the winner of three technical Oscars. “I hope it starts a conversation - that there’s excitement about the possibilities,” said Renner, who is committed to star in a sequel should there be one, about “The Bourne Legacy.” “That would be the ultimate compliment: I can’t wait to see where this goes next.” Renner says some of his friends still mistakenly believe he’s playing Damon’s character. But Universal has struggled to create a separate identity for “The Bourne Legacy,” which focuses on a clandestine program to create superhuman soldiers. The studio wants the new film to succeed not only as a stand-alone production but also as the first entry in a potential cycle of movies.

Unlike many successful series, the cerebral spy tales filled with double and triple crossings have attracted strong reviews and robust attendance from older moviegoers, who typically shy away from most big-budget summer fare. In a summer in which Universal’s'Battleship'will lose about $100 million and its'Snow White and the Huntsman'will struggle to break even, the studio badly needs its $130-million “Bourne Legacy” to connect.

Jason bourne cast and character