Can Bourne 6 Avoid the Franchise's Recent Issue?

Introduction

The Bourne franchise is adding another movie to its collection more than eight years after the last Matt Damon-led project (and four years since the television series). But the upcoming installment will undoubtedly feel the pressure to avoid continuing a bleak 12-year streak in the series. Universal Pictures announced in late 2023 that a sixth Bourne film is officially in development with Edward Berger, known for helming All Quiet on the Western Front, set to direct the feature. Reports claim that negotiations between Universal and Damon are underway for the actor to reprise his role in the upcoming project, but his involvement has not been confirmed (yet).

Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne franchise includes five movies — The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy, and Jason Bourne — and one television show, Treadstone. With six (soon to be seven) installments in the series, no one can deny its success. However, even though Bourne is a $1.6 billion franchise and could very well turn into a $2 billion one following the sixth movie, its last three projects have suffered from one unfortunate issue and resulted in a discouraging 12-year streak.

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne

The Last 3 Bourne Projects Have Received Negative Reviews

The three most recent installments in the Bourne franchise — The Bourne Legacy (2012), Jason Bourne (2016), and Treadstone (2019) — have all received negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the Jeremy Renner-led 2012 film has a 56-percent score on the Tomatometer and a 58-percent Audience Score; Matt Damon's last Bourne movie has a 54-percent score on the Tomatometer and a 55-percent Audience Score; and the short-lived USA Network series has a 47-percent score on the Tomatometer, despite having a 73-percent Audience Score.

Meanwhile, the first three Bourne projects received raving reviews from critics and audiences alike. The Bourne Identity's Tomatometer is 84 percent, and the Audience Score is 93 percent; The Bourne Supremacy has an 82 percent Tomatometer score and a 90 percent Audience Score; and The Bourne Ultimatum received a 92 percent on the Tomatometer and a 91 percent Audience Score. So, although the franchise got off to a great start with its first three films, it has been rapidly declining since 2012.

Bourne 6 Needs A Fresh Rotten Tomatoes Score To Save The Franchise

The upcoming project must turn the tides for the franchise so that it can return to its former glory that it experienced with The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum. The director, writers, and producers of the sixth film need to take the negative reviews of The Bourne Legacy, Jason Bourne, and Treadstone into account and return to what made the series so triumphant in the first place. The potential to succeed is built into the franchise, and Bourne 6 could undoubtedly receive a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score if it's done right.