The director Matt Damon called “about as white hot as you can get by Hollywood standards”
Presumably one of the first names to appear on the lists of “most profitable stars” maintained by Hollywood studios, Matt Damon has managed to build a balance between box office hits and critically acclaimed gems throughout his portfolio. Ranging from his Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting to his standout performance in one of the biggest movies of 2023, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Damon’s rise to the top is supported by some impressive work.
While he has explored multiple genres and cinematic domains over the course of his career, Damon’s commercial success during his prime years is definitely tied to the action films he made. Most notably, it’s the Bourne franchise that established him as the face of a new kind of action cinema that Hollywood was pushing, and he did it to great effect.
The Bourne series popularised a gritty, hyper-realistic tone for post-9/11 action cinema, which not only had a significant impact on the American industry but was also a noticeable source of inspiration for imitators around the world. In addition to the distinct cinematic identity, it was Damon’s portrayal of the protagonist that elevated the entire franchise.
During a conversation with BBC, Damon actually revealed that he hadn’t planned to make any further sequels after The Bourne Identity. However, it was Paul Greengrass’ involvement in the subsequent projects that convinced the American actor that it was time to build the franchise into something that would change the industry forever.
Damon began: “I signed on for one at a time because I didn’t know how it was going to go, whether or not I was going to like working in that genre, or whether there would even be another one. There were a lot of things that could have happened. But we always said after the first one that we’d do another one if it wasn’t just a cynical money grabber; if we could actually make a movie that we felt was as good as or better than the previous one.”
The actor added: “He didn’t need to direct a third Bourne film because he’s about as white hot as you can get by Hollywood standards, given United 93 and everything that happened with that film and The Bourne Supremacy and everything that happened with that. So when he said that he wanted to and that it would be a laugh and some fun, we all went ‘OK’.”
The Bourne Supremacy already served as a notable shift from Doug Liman’s tone in the first entry, but it was The Bourne Ultimatum that properly brought all the different elements into one coherent artistic thesis, which is why many still consider it to be the best of the lot. It turns out that continuing the series was definitely the right decision, picking up widespread praise, accolades and huge box office numbers along the way.
