Few movie heroes define 21st-century Hollywood better than Jason Bourne. Created by Robert Ludlum, the character (famously portrayed by Matt Damon in all big-screen adaptations) originally featured in three of the author’s novels, released between 1980 and 1990, followed by 11 novels written by Eric Van Lustbader between 2004 and 2019, and three by Brian Freeman since 2020. At the moment, fans will be glad to know that another installment is being developed.
But how have the movies performed at the box office? Distributed by Universal Pictures, most of the Bourne movies have had great theatrical runs. Thanks to the quality of each picture and the constant release of new reading material, fan interest has remained high. The most recent release has the most impressive numbers and Universal Pictures can expect things to get even better if they keep the engine running.
Here’s how the box office numbers look for each Jason Bourne Film, ranked from lowest to highest.
5 The Bourne Identity (2002)
$214 Million
- Release Date
- June 14, 2002
- Runtime
- 111
Attempts to develop a Jason Bourne movie began as early as 1981, but plans were hampered by the usual cycle of development hell until Doug Liman showed interest and Universal took over the rights from Warner Bros. We were thus treated to The Bourne Identity, the fascinating story of a man with psychogenic amnesia who is rescued by fishermen in the Mediterranean Sea. He goes on a mission to find out who he truly is. While at it, he gets hunted by assassins and uncovers a major CIA conspiracy.
Powering Through a Stacked 2002 Summer
Liman had initially approached bigger names like Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone, for the role of Jason Bourne, and it’s unclear if the margins might have been higher with them on board. Nonetheless, we are glad that we got Matt Damon.
Released in the summer of 2002, The Bourne Identitywas up against strong competition, especially from xXx, which catered to the same spy-action demographic. Men in Black II, Spider-Man, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, and Austin Powers in Goldmember had also been released around the same time, so there were plenty of forces for Bourne to battle. Thankfully, the film powered through. With its on-the-move energy and air of mystery, it managed decent numbers that guaranteed a sequel.
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4 The Bourne Legacy (2012)
$276 Million
The Bourne Legacy
- Release Date
- August 8, 2012
- Runtime
- 135
The Bourne Legacy is a Jason Bourne movie without Jason Bourne, though the character is shown in pictures and mentioned several times. Matt Damon chose to not do another movie if Paul Greengrass wasn’t returning, so the studio shoved him to the side and cast Jeremy Renner. Here, Aaron Cross (Renner), an agent of a program known as Outcome, leads a quiet, studious life. Soon, his peace gets disrupted when Eric Byer (Edward Norton), the man who built the unit, decides to eliminate everyone on it.
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Though decent by genre standards, The Bourne Legacy’s numbers are low for the franchise, which makes sense. Making a Bourne movie without Bourne was a move guaranteed to alienate sections of fans. Furthermore, Jeremy Renner wasn’t as big an actor then as he is now. Still, the fourth installment remains an underrated spy movie. Renner outdoes himself, and so does the rest of the cast.
3 The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
$290 Million
- Release Date
- July 23, 2004
- Runtime
- 108
Trouble follows Jason Bourne everywhere and in The Bourne Supremacy, he happens to be enjoying life in India until Russian agent Kirill (Karl Urban from The Boys), frames him for the theft of millions of dollars from the CIA. Kirill begins hunting Bourne, intending to kill him, and while at it, a bullet meant for the titular hero, ends up killing his girlfriend, Marie. The iconic “They killed my lover!” trope thus plays out, with Bourne vowing vengeance, while also attempting to prove his innocence.
Audiences Were Eager to See What’s Next
Given how entertaining the first entry had been, people bought tickets in numbers, eager to see what Bourne would do next. Nominated for numerous accolades, including three at the World Stunt Awards, this smart, cynical installment functions as both a prescient critique of the American intelligence system, and a refreshingly perceptive action thriller. All the supporting cast members also do full justice to director Paul Greengrass’ biting screenplay. Unsurprisingly, the film spent eight of its first nine weeks in the Top 10 at the domestic box office.
2 The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
$444 Million
- Release Date
- August 3, 2007
- Runtime
- 111
Chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2007, The Bourne Ultimatum still finds Jason Bourne in a vengeful mood. When an investigative journalist working for The Guardian learns about the controversial CIA black ops programs, he does some digging and Bourne vows to give him all the information he needs to make his former paymasters pay. However, things get dangerous as sinister figures send assassins to hunt down both Bourne and the journalist.
A Win for Both Matt Damon and the Studio
Although it shares its title with Robert Ludlum's titular 1990 best-selling novel, its plot is entirely different. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Atmospheric, at times even lyrical, this visually arresting spy-action film makes us ponder societal issues like the wrench of conformity, the certainty of change, and the desire to do the right thing.
With its $444.1 million worldwide gross against its budget of $110 million, The Bourne Ultimatum became Matt Damon's highest-grossing film with him as the lead.Its$69,283,690 opening weekend gross also made it the highest August opening weekend, beating Rush Hour 3. It would keep the record for a whopping seven years until it was overtaken by James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014.
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1 Jason Bourne (2016)
$415 Million
Jason Bourne
In the fifth installment in the Bourne film franchise, Matt Damon returns to his most iconic role of Jason Bourne. Though the titular operative has recovered from his amnesia, he is still on the run from the CIA that wants him dead, while trying to learn clues about his father and his history.
- Release Date
- July 29, 2016
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
Matt Damon’s return to the franchise came as a total surprise. He must have missed Bourne, but so did the franchise. This time, Paul Greengrass chose not to go with “The Bourne Whatever” as a title. He went with the simpler Jason Bourne, and it worked. At the start of the movie, we are reminded of the fact that the CIA is either too incompetent or Bourne is too good. The agency still hasn’t been able to capture him, so they send the head of cyber-security, Heather Lee, to hunt him down. Meanwhile, Bourne tries to uncover secrets about his father.
Bourne’s Return Was Justified
Jason Bourne is an affecting, beautifully photographed story about a familiar character. Greengrass handles the tale with commendable restraint and tenderness, outfitting the picture with more dialogue and espionage imagery than was the case before. Consequently, the film became a major commercial hit, almost tripling its budget. Worldwide, the movie opened at first place in 50 markets, making it the most successful film in the franchise. Of note, it was also the second-biggest Hollywood release of 2016, for movies that didn’t involve comic book superheroes or animated anthropomorphic animals.
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