Its been eight years sinceBourne Ultimatumwas released.
What had to happen for you to return to the character?
First and foremost, we needed a good story to tell [laughs].
Mainly, we just didnt want to mess it up.
Is there a particular current event that triggered your imagination when it came to Bournes next adventure?
Since 2007, so much has changed.
And so those are kind of somewhere in the stew of our story.
If you look at the first three, they are films that are product of the Bush presidency.
Thematically, they touch on things people were talking and thinking about during that presidency.
This one feels like a movie about today.
Where is Jason Bourne when the film begins?
Well I dont know how much I should say.
But does that complete things for the character or not?
And the conclusion we came to is no we find him in a very dark and tortured place.
So you find him in a place thats dark and unresolved.
This is the completion of this journey that started in theBourne Identity.
Its part of the first three [movies], its not a whole new chapter.
It goes deeper thanUltimatum, basically.
Shooting has taken place all over the world in locations like DC, London, and Greece.
What does that mean for you in terms of plot?
The last one was set in London, Madrid, and New York.
And subconsciously, those places were places where there were terrorist attacks.
This movie opens with an austerity riot in Athens, and thats very much by design.
It feels current with whats going in our world.
Youre always creating an alternate reality withBourne, but you want to feel like its our world.
I would never feel comfortable doing this with anyone but him.
Hes just so smart.
I love working with him.
Alicia Vikander is in the movie.
What can you say about her part?
You have to do something great and new, and Alicia is our great and new.
She plays a new character were introducing, and shes a specialist in cyber.
The implications of that are huge, and shes representing that in the movie.
Those two go head to head quite a bit.
One thing about these movies is that the casts are so good.
I always feel so amazed at the people we get.
Jason Bourneopens in theaters on July 29.
