What is the best order to watch the Bourne movies?

In 1980, author Robert Ludlum wrote the Bourne Identity – a novel about a mysterious man called Jason Bourne, with remarkable set of skills and an unfortunate case of amnesia. The book proved popular enough to spawn two sequels – The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum – as well as a collection of novels not written by Ludlum (The Bourne Betrayal, The Bourne Imperative, etc).

Outside of the printed page, The Bourne Identity has also spawned an entire movie franchise. One that began in 1988, with a long forgotten TV movie.

Think you know the Jason Bourne films? Read on to discover more than you think you know, including the best viewing order for the Bourne movie series.

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The original Jason Bourne TV movie/miniseries

OK, so let’s start at the beginning.

Long before Matt Damon made Jason Bourne into a household name (see below), actor Richard Chamberlain appeared in a TV adaptation of The Bourne Identity. Arriving eight years after Robert Ludlam’s first Bourne novel was published, Chamberlain played the role of Jason Bourne in a television miniseries broadcast on ABC.

The Bourne Identity starred Chamberlain as Bourne, alongside a cast which included Jaclyn Smith, Anthony Quayle, Shane Rimmer, Donald Moffat, Denholm Elliott, and Peter Vaughan. The miniseries initially aired across two nights, before being edited together and released on home video, where it exists today as a ‘movie’.

The 1988 version of The Bourne Identity is largely overlooked or forgotten these days, but it has been released on DVD, so it is still circulating. However, it is worth noting that the ‘movie’ isn’t connected to any other Jason Bourne film, so it exists as a stand-alone title only, should you wish to ignore it.

And now on to something completely different…

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The Matt Damon Jason Bourne saga

And now onto the Bourne movie series that has made the greatest impact at the box office and with audiences – the Bourne film collection featuring Matt Damon. The series began in 2002 and has since expanded to a series of pictures mostly (but not always) featuring Damon.

The Bourne Identity (2002)

The Bourne Identity was the initial entry in the series, which introduced Matt Damon as an amnesiac with a huge secret. In the film, a mysterious man with gunshot wounds is discovered floating in the Mediterranean sea, completely unaware of who he is or why he has been shot.

After making his way back to the shore, the man finds a passport which appears to belong to him and contains the name, Jason Bourne. Assuming the identity of Bourne, the man seeks out further answers in an attempt to learn who he really is.

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Upon release, The Bourne Identity was both a critical and commercial success. As such it was soon followed by a sequel titled The Bourne Supremacy. 

Set two years after the events of the previous movie, and with Bourne now aware of his past life as a trained assassin for the CIA, he soon becomes a target. But instead of landing himself in the crosshairs, it is his girlfriend who is killed, sending Bourne on a mission to find those responsible.

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

As with its predecessor, The Bourne Supremacy was a hit with audiences, leading to the production of a third entry titled The Bourne Ultimatum. The film debuted in 2007, and saw Jason Bourne come out of hiding following the events of the first two movies, only to find himself becoming another target. During the course of this movie, Bourne also discovers his real name. 

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

For five years, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Legacy existed as a self-contained Bourne trilogy, and for all intents and purposes it appeared as if the story was over. However, Universal Pictures – the studio behind the films – wasn’t done with the world of Jason Bourne and decided to revive the Bourne movie series via a spin-off/sequel, titled The Bourne Legacy. 

The film was conceived as a way for the studio to move beyond Matt Damon-led movies, after the actor chose not to return for the fourth instalment. With Damon/Bourne absent, the film would instead centre upon Aaron Cross – another highly skilled protagonist, played by Jeremy Renner.

In this movie, Cross is a black ops agent who finds himself becoming a target. The Bourne Legacy details his attempts to survive, while also seeking special medications which enhance his physical and mental abilities.

Jason Bourne (2016)

Four years after the release of The Bourne Legacy, Matt Damon returned to the series for a fifth entry, simply titled Jason Bourne. The film was initially set to include Aaron Cross, but when actor Jeremy Renner was unavailable, Jason Bourne became a solo picture centred around Bourne.

In the film, Jason Bourne comes out of hiding and learns more about his past. This includes information about his father’s connection to the CIA.

The Matt Damon Jason Bourne movies in order

If you wish to watch all of the Matt Damon Jason Bourne films in order, then follow this list:

• The Bourne Identity (2002)
• The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
• The Bourne Legacy (2012)
• Jason Bourne (2016)

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Who are the cast of the Jason Bourne movies and are the films the work of the same director?

Notable cast members in the Jason Bourne movie series include Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Brian Cox, Gabriel Mann, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Joan Allen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Karl Urban, Marton Csokas, Albert Finney, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Daniel Brühl, Scott Adkins, Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Oscar Isaac, Corey Stoll, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, and Riz Ahmed.

In terms of directors, the films are the work of the following:

• Doug Liman directed The Bourne Identity
• Paul Greengrass directed The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Jason Bourne
• Tony Gilroy directed The Bourne Legacy

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Which is the best Jason Bourne movie?

According to IMDb, the Bourne movies (including the 1988 television ‘movie’) are rated as follows: 

• The Bourne Identity (1988) – 6.8/10
• The Bourne Identity (2002) – 7.8/10
• The Bourne Supremacy (2004) – 7.7/10
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) – 8.0/10
• The Bourne Legacy (2012) – 6.6/10
• Jason Bourne (2016) – 6.6/10

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Editor/writer/super spy

Alex Wiggan

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Jason Bourne movie series. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.