Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington in a movie from the guy who created the Bourne movies. That do anything for you? It’s happening at MGM where David Cronenberg is directing an adaptation of the Robert Ludlum thriller The Matarese Circle.

Variety says in the film Cruise and Washington will play enemy spies who decide to team up after 20 years trying to kill each other. Their goal is to fight a powerful group of conspirators called the Matarese.

The original Ludlum book is set during the cold war, but the script being adapted by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas will modernize it and dispense with all the Russia versus US angst. It worked for the Bourne movies, why not this.

This could turn into a big franchise for MGM. They’ve already acquired the rights to the sequel novel, The Matarese Countdown. Ludlum as a source material is a great way to kick a new movie series off, but Cronenberg’s recent track record, Viggo Mortensen’s naked fighting aside, suggests he’s no Paul Greengrass. But then who is?