While we're not likely to see James Bond and Jason Bourne throw down against each other on the big screen anytime soon, we're getting something that's kind of close — a collaboration between "Bond" director and "Bourne" author in "The Chancellor Manuscript."
According to Variety, "Quantum of Solace" director Marc Forster is attached to direct "The Chancellor Manuscript," based on the novel by the late "Bourne" mastermind Robert Ludlum, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to star. Peter O'Brien will write the script based on Ludlum's political thriller.
DiCaprio would presumably play Peter Chancellor, the author of a novel about lawmakers being blackmailed into changing United States policies. In a stranger than fiction twist, it turns out that this scheme is very real, setting the conspirators on the loose to track down the novelist and silence him for good.
After the success of the "Bourne" trilogy, it's no wonder that studios are angling to get more of Ludlum's work into theaters. Paramount reportedly spent $4 million in 2005 to ascertain the film rights for "Chancellor," which seems like a hefty investment given the franchise's lack of mainstream recognition.
But you know that this movie is going to get plastered with slogans evoking Ludlum's "Bourne" work and Foster's "Quantum of Solace" gig, which combines with DiCaprio's name for a pretty impressive list of ingredients. Whether the movie itself is any good is another story, but assuming that all remains intact going into opening weekend, this could be a fairly lucrative project.
Tell us what you think of "The Chancellor Manuscript" in the comments section or on Twitter!
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