Everyone’s trying to reinvent the spy franchise. xXx and The Bourne Identity both did pretty good at jump-starting potential new franchises, with mixed results on their follow ups. Even the classic theatrical spy, James Bond, has been rebooted with Casino Royale and the first ever Bond sequel, the upcoming Quantum of Solace. So the notion that Warner Brothers is looking for another spy franchise should come as no surprise.
The Hollywood Reporter announced Warner Brothers’ acquisition of the rights to Dead Spy Running, a pending spy novel intended to start a new franchise for the studio. The novel, penned by British author Jon Stock, is described as a mix between The Bourne Identity and the works of John Le Carre.
The project is intended to become a vehicle for McG, who I will refrain from bashing on because his take on the Terminator franchise looks so damn promising (and because he produces the spy-themed Chuck on NBC, which also has a lot of promise). McG would direct the first movie at the very least, and produce other chapters in association with Warner Brothers.
