Denzel Washington Attached To Robert Ludlum's "Matarese Circle"

A couple of weeks ago, a package based on a best-selling Robert Ludlum novel created quite a buzz around Hollywood when it was pitched to studios. The package being pitched was an adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s novel, “The Matarese Circle,” and it has Denzel Washington attached to play the hero.

“The Matarese Circle,” revolves around two secret agents – an American and a Russian – who must work together to fight a mysterious group of killers known as the Matarese. The twist is (because there’s always a twist) the agents, Bradley Scofield and Vasili Taleniekov, have been nemeses for years and have a long and complicated history with one another, with each responsible for killing someone close to the other. Denzel Washington would be playing Bradley Scofield.

Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, the writers behind Lionsgate’s 3:10 to Yuma remake and the upcoming Universal summer tentpole, Wanted, are attached as writers. Veteran producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Wechsler are on board as producers.

The reason the studios are so interested in this property has everything to do with a character by the name of Jason Bourne. Ludlum’s Bourne books were the basis for the movies starring Matt Damon that have now grossed more than $900M in worldwide box office. In fact, Universal is going forward with a fourth Bourne film despite the fact that Ludlum only wrote three Bourne books before he died. Two more were written by Eric Van Lustbader and published after Ludlum’s death, with a third Van Lustbader title expected in the summer.

“Matarese,” of course, could be attractive to studios seeking a new franchise. The property is the only other Ludlum creation to feature more than one novel; a second book, “The Matarese Countdown,” was published in 1997. Nearly all the major studios have heard at least a version of the pitch, with several thought to be extremely interested. No deal has yet been struck, but I would guess that it’s only a matter of time. This is about as close as it gets to a sure thing in Hollywood.