The Bourne Identity (2002 film)

The Bourne Identity
International theatrical release poster
Directed byDoug Liman
Screenplay by
Based onThe Bourne Identity
by Robert Ludlum
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyOliver Wood
Edited bySaar Klein
Music byJohn Powell
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • June 6, 2002 (2002-06-06) (Los Angeles)
  • June 14, 2002 (2002-06-14) (United States)
  • September 26, 2002 (2002-09-26) (Germany)
  • October 17, 2002 (2002-10-17) (Czech Republic)
Running time
119 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Germany
  • Czech Republic
Languages
  • English
  • German
  • French
Budget$60 million
Box office$214 million

The Bourne Identity is a 2002 action-thriller film directed by Doug Liman and written by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron. Based on Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel of the same name, it is the first installment in the Bourne franchise, and the film stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. In the film, Jason Bourne (Damon) suffers from psychogenic amnesia and is forced to fight to unlock his identity and his mysterious connection to the CIA.

Attempts to develop a feature film adaptation of Ludlum's novel first began in 1981 but stalled after being passed to different distributors, with Warner Bros. producing a television film adaptation in 1988. Liman revived the feature film project in 1996 and worked with Ludlum and David Self on its screenplay after Gilroy initially declined: Gilroy made several changes to the script upon joining, with additional contributions from Herron. After Damon and Potente were cast, principal photography began in October 2000 and lasted until February 2001, with filming taking place in Paris, Prague, Imperia, Rome, Mykonos, and Zürich. Production was troubled: the creators frequently clashed with studio executives over delays, costs, last-minute changes, and unexpected reshoots.

Originally set for release in September 2001, it was theatrically released in the United States on June 14, 2002, by Universal Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the direction, Damon's performance, action sequences, and characters: it is considered one of the most influential action films of all time.[3] It grossed $214 million worldwide and was followed by the sequels The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and Jason Bourne (2016).

  1. ^ Fernando, Hasitha (2023-06-14). "A Journey Into Chaos: Bringing The Bourne Identity to the Screen". Flickering Myth. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  2. ^ Finn, Natalie (2023-06-14). "20 Unforgettable Secrets About The Bourne Identity". E! News. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  3. ^ Gittell, Noah (2022-06-14). "The Bourne Identity at 20: the surprise hit that changed action film-making". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-02-26.


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