The Bourne Ultimatum was a global blockbuster but it had some behind the scenes turmoil, including a screenplay by Tony Gilroy that star Matt Damon hated. Directed by Paul Greengrass, 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum was the most successful film of the franchise. It concluded the trilogy that began with Doug Liman's The Bourne Identity in 2002, and Greengrass continued with The Bourne Supremacy in 2004. Greengrass and Damon reunited in 2016 with a fourth movie, Jason Bourne. The franchise also had a poorly received feature film spinoff called The Bourne Legacy in 2012 and a USA Network TV series called Treadstone in 2019 that lasted for one season.

Damon plays Jason Bourne, a government assassin stricken with amnesia looking to discover the truth about his origins. The character and films are based upon a series of spy novels by Robert Ludlum, which have been continued by Eric von Lustbader. In The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne finally learns his real identity - David Webb - and he discovers that his own father had a pivotal role in creating the Treadstone program that brainwashed him into a lethal killer. Bourne also helps CIA deputy director Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) expose Treadstone's successor program, Operation: Blackbriar, as he puts the demons of his past to bed. The Bourne Ultimatum was a smash hit; thanks to Greengrass' frenetic directing style and Damon's solemn charisma, the Bourne trilogy redefined action movies in the early 21st century. Bourne's success also prompted the James Bond franchise to reboot with Daniel Craig in the lead role, and Greengrass's films were a clear influence on 2006's Casino Royale and 2008's Quantum of Solace.

Related: Did Jason Bourne And Nicky Parsons Have A Romance In The Bourne Identity?

The original Bourne trilogy's story and screenplays were co-written by Tony Gilroy but, by the third film, Matt Damon accused the screenwriter of cashing in and delivering substandard work. In 2011, Damon infamously complained about Gilroy's Bourne Ultimatum script to GQ:

“I don’t blame Tony for taking a boatload of money and handing in what he handed in...  It’s just that it was unreadable. This is a career-ender. I mean, I could put this thing up on eBay and it would be game over for that dude. It’s terrible. It’s really embarrassing.”

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Gilroy was reportedly upset by changes Greengrass made to the previous film, The Bourne Supremacy, which emphasized breakneck action when Gilroy wanted to focus on Jason Bourne's repentance for his murders (which ultimately came at the very end of the film). Gilroy was finally persuaded to write the initial draft of The Bourne Ultimatum but he didn't participate further. Tom Stoppard was brought in to write a draft of the script but later claimed the finished film "didn't use a word" of what he wrote. The film's screenplay is officially credited to Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns, and George Nolfi.

Fans of the Bourne trilogy noticed a huge difference in the portrayal of Jason Bourne between Identity and Supremacy. Jason was a more open and talkative character in the initial film, but by The Bourne Supremacy, Greengrass and Damon slashed nearly all of Bourne's dialogue. Damon internalized the character and the audience had to watch closely and interpret what Bourne was thinking and feeling based upon his actions. This change in how Greengrass presented Jason Bourne, which continued in The Bourne Ultimatum and in the 2016 film, is perhaps what upset Gilroy and led to his distancing himself from the franchise he helped create.

For his part, Matt Damon later felt bad about his derogatory comments about Gilroy. He contacted GQ and offered a public mea culpa: “My feelings were hurt. That’s all. And that’s exactly why I shouldn’t have said anything. This is between me and him. So saying anything publicly is f*cking stupid and unprofessional and just kind of douchey of me.” If another Bourne movie does materialize someday, it remains to be seen if Gilroy will reunite with Damon and Greengrass to recapture the magic that led to The Bourne Ultimatum's phenomenal success.

Next: All Jason Bourne Movies, Ranked Worst To Best