How Often is a Trailer Engrossing?

Really. This looks stunning. This made me forget I was watching a trailer. Doesn't happen often.

What a story. Can't wait.

Trailer for Tom Hanks' 'Captain Phillips'

Directed by Paul Greengrass from a script by Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, 24, The Mummy Reboot).

Based on the book 'A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea', by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty about the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama.

I want to see this if, for nothing else, to see how they setup the take-out by Navy SEALs. Astounding bit of shooting, that.
























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Greengrass On The Treatment

Elvis Mitchell with Paul Greengrass on The Treatment on KCRW in Santa Monica.

A Fourth Bourne?

The trilogy of books written by Robert Ludlum which feature Jason Bourne has been made into some of the best thrillers of the genre: The Bourne Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum (currently in productatum) all starring Matt Damon as the down-to-earth spy who is constantly in peril. Anne Thompson ran into Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass who, among other things, says Bourne will survive Ultimatum to face bad guys in a fourth Bourne movie. So...Ludlum writes three Bourne novels but a fourth movie is tentatively good to go -- I had to check this out.

Sure enough there is not only a fourth Bourne novel but a fifth as well -- both written by thriller veteran Eric Van Lustbader (I've read his The Ninja -- it moves along with conviction [and according to Lustbader's website is being adapted for the screen by 20th Century Fox with a script due in months]). The next Bourne movie, should there be one, is The Bourne Legacy. The fifth novel, not yet finished, has a working title of The Bourne Trajectory (that will have to be changed for a movie, sorry).

As long as they can keep the quality of the material top-notch, I'm all for more Bourne stories. Bond may have been the thing way back when, but he's a bit superficial (as well a sexist in a backwards way) today -- Bourne has much broader appeal and audiences connect with Damon. Rock on Jason (and hope you work out that memory thing).