Damon back as Bourne: JB vs. JB

Matt Damon TOLD E! ONLINE that he’s returning to the role of Jason Bourne with Paul Greengrass again directing.

The movie would be made next year for a 2016 release, according to the E! Online interview. Does that mean we’ll once again get some James Bond “trash talk”?

Damon made three Bourne movies from 2002 to 2007: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. The latter two were directed by Greengrass.

In the 2000s, Damon wasn’t shy about criticizing Bond. For example, there’s this 2009 quote from a Miami Herald interview via The Huffington Post.

Damon called Bond an “imperalist, misogynist who goes around swilling martinis and bedding women and killing people. He’s repulsive.” He made almost identical comments in 2007 (also using the “imperalist” and “misogynist” gibes), ACCORDING TO THE DAILY MAIL.

At one time, Bourne was very much on the minds of the makers of James Bond movies. THE NEW YORK TIMES in October 2005 quoted executives it didn’t identify that “the model” for recasting the 007 role with Daniel Craig was the Bourne films.

The resemblance between the Bourne movies and Bond came with Craig’s second 007 film, Quantum of Solace. The movie utilized the services of Dan Bradley as second unit director, the same job he held on the Bourne movies. It had a lot of rapid camera movement, particularly in the first 20 minutes, similar to the Bourne series.

Since then, with 2012’s Sam Mendes-directed Skyfall, the Bourne-isms faded. Greengrass interviewed Mendes about Skyfall in 2012.

Bond 24, again with Mendes at the helm, is scheduled for a fall 2015 release. So it will be out well before Damon’s next Bourne effort. Still, given that Damon is an outspoken actor, it’ll be interesting to see if we hear more from Damon on the JB vs. JB comparison.

New book out about 007’s impact on popular culture

There’s a new book about James Bond and his place in popular culture.

James Bond and Popular Culture: Essays on the Influence of the Fictional Superspy was published in late October by McFarland, which puts out academic and pop culture titles.

Here’s a description:

The most recognizable fictional spy and one of the longest running film franchises, James Bond has inspired a host of other pop culture contributions, including Doctor Who (the Jon Pertwee era), the animated television comedy series Archer, Matt Kindt’s comic book series Mind MGMT, Japan’s Nakano Spy School Films, the 1960s Italian Eurospy genre, and the recent 007 Legends video game. This collection of new essays analyzes Bond’s phenomenal literary and filmic influence over the past 50-plus years. The 14 essays are categorized into five parts: film, television, literature, lifestyle (emphasis on fashion and home décor), and the Bond persona reinterpreted.

For more information, you can CLICK HERE to see McFarland’s website or CLICK HERE to see it on Amazon.com. The 288-page book lists for $40 on McFarland’s page and $38 on Amazon.

UPDATE (Nov. 21, 2014): To view a table of contents, including subjects and authors, CLICK HERE.