Bourne Supremacy, The

By: Development Heck
Date: Monday, August 02, 2004

Genre:
Action/Thriller/Sequel.

Studio:
Universal Pictures.

Production Company:
Unknown.

Project Phase:
Released.

Who's In It:
Matt Damon (Jason Bourne); Joan Allen (Helen Landy); Franka Potente; Julia Stiles; Karl Urban; Brian Cox (Ward Abbott); Tomas Arana; Tom Gallop.

Who's Making It:
Paul Greenglass (Director); Tony Gilroy (Screenwriter); Frank Marshall, Pat Crowley , Paul L. Sandberg (Producers); Oliver Wood (Director of Photography); Christopher Rouse (Editor); Dominic Watkins (Production Designer); Dinah Collin (Costume Designer); Kit West (Special Effects Supervisor); based on the novel The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum.

Premise:
After the Chinese vice-premier is brutally murdered, the world believes it to be the work of Jason Bourne, master assassin. However, what the politicians don't know is that the assassination was done by someone using the Bourne identity and that the man the world believes to be the killer is in fact innocent of the crime. Now David Webb must step back into the shoes of Bourne to find out who the impostor is and save the life of the woman he loves.

Release Date:
July 23, 2004.

Comments:
None.

Scoop Feedback:

March 14, 2003... Tony Gilroy has been hired by Universal Pictures to write the screenplay for THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, the sequel to last year's hit THE BOURNE IDENTITY. Matt Damon isn't contracted to reprise his role as superspy Jason Bourne but has expressed interest in starring in the sequel if the script meets his approval.

SUPREMACY is about someone else hijacking the Bourne cover name and taking credit for the assassination of a Chinese government figure. It's up to Jason Bourne to find out who's using his identity and stop them from jeopardizing the world peace. [Variety.]

June 24, 2003... Matt Damon is coming back to reprise his role of assassin Jason Bourne in THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, which is expected to begin shooting before the end of the year. In talks to direct the Universal picture is director Paul Greengrass (BLOODY SUNDAY, THE THEORY OF FLIGHT). The screenplay to Robert Ludlum's espionage thriller was adapted by Tony Gilroy, the same fellow who also worked on THE BOURNE IDENTITY.

SUPREMACY continues the covert adventures of amnesiac Jason Bourne (Damon) who now finds himself framed for the murder of a Chinese politician. Bourne must find out who set him up before he's taken out of the spy game for good (and at the end of a bullet.) [Source: The Hollywood Reporter.]

September 16, 2003... Actress Joan Allen (THE CONTENDER, PLEASANTVILLE) is in negotiations to star alongside Matt Damon in THE BOURNE SUPREMACY. If she gets the job Allen will play Helen Landy, a CIA agent assigned to track down
Jason Bourne (Damon).

Paul Greengrass is still tapped to direct this sequel to THE BOURNE IDENTITY. Filming is scheduled to kick off before the year's out. [The Hollywood Reporter.]

October 7, 2003... LORD OF THE RINGS co-star Karl Urban is in talks to play the principal baddie in THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, set to start filming before the year's out. Urban, who played Eomer in THE TWO TOWERS and will be seen again in THE RETURN OF THE KING, is currently filming THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK.

Matt Damon will reprise his role of Jason Bourne in the sequel. [The Hollywood Reporter.]

November 7, 2003... X2 villain Brian Cox will reprise his part of Ward Abbott in THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, then go on to star as the uncle of Johnny Knoxville's character in THE RINGER. The latter film is a comedy about a man who pretends he's mentally disabled to compete in the Special Olympics. Before you take up arms against Fox Searchlight Pictures, director Barry Blaustein and writer Ricky Blitt, THE RINGER is being produced by The Farrelly brothers, the same guys who portrayed physically and mentally challenged people with empathy, smarts and capable of comedic wit too in THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and ME, MYSELF & IRENE.

Cox is wrapping up work in TROY, next summer's historical action/adventure starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana. Cox is playing King Agamemnon in the Wolfgang Petersen directed flick. [The Hollywood Reporter.]

November 11, 2003... Universal Pictures has announced that principal photography on THE BOURNE SUPREMACY has begun. In addition to the previously announced returning cast members such as Matt Damon, Julia Stiles and Brian Cox, Franka Potente is also coming back in the sequel. New players Joan Allen and Karl Urban round out the cast. The film is shooting on location in Germany, Russia and India and will be released sometime in 2004.

Here's how Universal describes the plot for the film:

"THE BOURNE SUPREMACY re-enters the shadowy world of expert assassin Bourne (Damon), who continues to find himself plagued by splintered nightmares from his former life. The stakes are now even higher for the agent as he coolly maneuvers through the dangerous waters of international espionage-replete with CIA plots, turncoat agents and ever-shifting covert alliances-all the while hoping to find the truth behind his haunted memories and answers to his own fragmented past."

Paul Greengrass directs the film. The movie's director of photography is Oliver Wood (who also was behind the camera for THE BOURNE IDENTITY), the production designer is Dominic Watkins (BAD BOYS II), the costume designer is Dinah Collin (BLOODY SUNDAY), the film's editor is Christopher Rouse (THE ITALIAN JOB) and special effects supervisor Kit West is handling the film's explosions and car chases. [Source: Universal Pictures.]

December 22, 2003... Add Tomas Arana and Tom Gallop to the cast of THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, now filming in Europe. Both actors will play members of the CIA working to track down Jason Bourne (Matt Damon); Arana plays a CIA supervisor while Gallop is a CIA agent that works for Joan Allen's character.

Arana's played roles in PEARL HARBOR, GLADIATOR (he was Maximus's right-hand man leading his troops), L.A. CONFIDENTIAL and stalked Whitney Houston in THE BODYGUARD. Gallop has had roles in such films as ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MERCURY RIUING and JERRY MAGUIRE among his TV work.

Directed by Paul Greengrass, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY is on track for a July 23, 2004 opening. [The Hollywood Reporter.]

July 16, 2004... While the news department tries to leave the job of reviewing movies up to our able professional film critic, from time to time we're fortunate enough to receive a "man on the street" advance review of a film, be it from a test screening or early preview night. Two days ago one of the latter screenings happened for THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, the second feature to star Matt Damon as secret agent Jason Bourne. Mere hours after the film had been shown to the invite only audience than we had this reader's assessment of the film. Find out why "Notre Dame 2000" dug THE BOURNE SUPREMACY below...

"Last night I attended an NBC-Universal screening in Washington, DC for THE BOURNE SUPREMACY. Producer Frank Marshall introduced the film, and I'll mention that he was a very down-to-earth and friendly guy. He told us that we 'were the first audience to see this movie on film, as we literally finished it at 4AM last Saturday,' Marshall said. After saying that the studio was hoping to do a third BOURNE film, he jokingly mentioned 'that he would happily not be open to any questions involving Matt Damon or Ben Affleck's love-life, or any questions concerning INDIANA JONES 4.

"THE BOURNE SUPREMACY is a sequel in that it adds another layer of plotline onto the first film. This is not merely yet another series of events in the life of Jason Bourne we learn more about the motives of key characters in the first film, and more importantly, a little more information as to who Jason Bourne really is, and things he has done in his past which he cannot remember good and bad. There ARE a few unexpected moments in this movie just to reassure you that there are a couple twists to look forward to.

"The most interesting, and what will be the most discussed, aspect of this movie is the cinematography. Yes, it does look as if someone named Shakey McShakerson was holding the camera for the length of this movie. But I thought this style did nothing but enhance the story, especially for the BOURNE-genre. This film moves at a relentlessly brisk pace! I noticed that the shaking-camera technique gave even the most mundane of scenes a sense of urgency and tension, and was a very good fit for this movie in particular. Sure, on a couple shots the cameraman could have definitely benefited from a tranquilizer dart, but I recall very few shots that remained around long enough for the 'shake-cam' to feel forced, or to call too much attention to itself. Careful editing is necessary for this to work, and I thought they nailed it. Every shot was cut seamlessly to the dialogue and the music. There was a real sense of smoothness to the editing that did nothing but move the film along, bringing the audience more and more into the action. It's definitely a unique style, but it's a style that caters to those who enjoy fast-paced and overwhelmingly tense story. BOURNE SUPREMACY is not a subtle drama but a sludge-hits-the-fan thriller, so this style of presentation for the story on film felt very appropriate.

"I won't go into actor performances since this is a spy thriller, not Shakespearian drama. Everyone did an adequate job for what they were given. I'll note that one scene towards the end shows Matt Damon with a little more emotion then we're normally used to seeing him, and though it was brief it showed that he can definitely stretch his versatility as an actor. The one fairly new presence who stood out in particular was Karl Urban (LORD OF THE RINGS, CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK). He pretty much the serves the assassin/tracker role in the film. His screen presence reminded me very much of Clive Owen's seldom seen character from THE BOURNE IDENTITY. Urban plays a quietly sneering villain that is definitely a thorn in Bourne's side for a majority of the film. I would almost go as far to say that Urban's character had Darth Maulish feel, brandishing a quietly evil physical presence that shows up in several key moments of the film.

"The action was on par, if not slightly above, the first film. We do have a different director this time so the presentation is somewhat different. The editing in the fight scenes and the car chases was very fast. Although you still are able to tell who's kicking whose butt in most of these scenes. Like THE BOURNE IDENTITY, every punch is delivered with a thunderous blast from the speakers, which I personally found to be very entertaining.

"Even though the movie as whole didn't blow me away, one particular scene definitely did. There is a car chase towards the end of the film that builds up to an intensity that I have yet to see on film! The chase lasts around 10 minutes, and yes, much of the first half of this scene resembles the trembling close-up filled camerawork from the San Francisco chase scene from THE ROCK. Although in SUPREMACY, as the scene progresses, the camera gradually pulls back and back, giving us more of the mayhem. It is a gritty, meat and potatoes, CGI-free car chase that seemed to entertain the hell out of the audience. The action in this chase hits such an unbelievable adrenaline-high towards the climax of the scene that the audience broke out in applause afterwards. To give you an idea, if smoking was allowed in the theater we would have seen quite a few folks light up after this sequence.

"Overall this was a very entertaining and intelligent movie. It definitely builds on the plot and mystery of THE BOURNE IDENTITY. I enjoyed that movie a lot so it was no real surprise that I enjoyed the sequel. The main difference between the two is that SUPREMACY has the fast-pacing for the entire film. I did not include any criticism because I didn't think there was much. The movie succeeds in what it tries to be a non-over-the-top spy thriller that serves a perfect balance of plot and action. It doesn't try to aim for the stars, but it definitely comes far from sinking beneath the surface. THE BOURNE SUPREMACY walks on very solid ground for a spy thriller, and I definitely hope they go forward with the third film."

[Screening attended by 'Notre Dame 2000'.]

After Its Release:

July 25, 2004... THE BOURNE SUPREMACY opened huge this weekend, taking in an estimated $53.5 million dollars, making it one of the best opening weekends for a summer movie so far. Compare SUPREMACY's earnings to that for Warner Bros. CATWOMAN, which placed third but only netted $17 M and change, and the clear choice for the audience's money is evident.


Official Website:

www.thebournesupremacy.com