Watch the Bourne films in release order: The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy and Jason Bourne. The Bourne Legacy follows a different agent, Aaron Cross, during the events of Ultimatum and can be skipped.
- Titles
- 6
- Films
- 5
- Series
- 1
- Watch time
- 17 hours
- Box office
- $1.64 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.3
Bourne movies in release order
Here is every Bourne title in the order it came out, 2002 to 2019: 5 films and 1 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bourne Identity | 2002 | Film | 1h 59m | 7.8 |
| 2 | The Bourne Supremacy | 2004 | Film | 1h 48m | 7.7 |
| 3 | The Bourne Ultimatum | 2007 | Film | 1h 55m | 8 |
| 4 | The Bourne Legacy optional | 2012 | Film | 2h 15m | 6.6 |
| 5 | Jason Bourne | 2016 | Film | 2h 3m | 6.6 |
| 6 | Treadstone optional | 2019 | Series | 7h 10m | 6.9 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For Bourne, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with The Bourne Identity and go in release order, skipping the 2 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 4 titles and about 8 hours, 55% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: The Bourne Ultimatum (8), The Bourne Identity (7.8), and The Bourne Supremacy (7.7).
Every Bourne movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 2002 · Film · 1h 59m
The Bourne Identity
Wounded to the brink of death and suffering from amnesia, Jason Bourne is rescued at sea by a fisherman. With nothing to go on but a Swiss bank account number, he starts to reconstruct his life, but finds that many people he encounters want him dead. However, Bourne realizes that he has the combat and mental skills of a world-class spy—but who does he work for?
Why it matters: An amnesiac assassin pulled from the sea; the place to start.
- Starring
- Matt Damon, Franka Potente, and Chris Cooper
- Director
- Doug Liman
- Box office
- $214 million on a $60 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 84%
No. 02 · 2004 · Film · 1h 48m
The Bourne Supremacy
A CIA operation to purchase classified Russian documents is blown by a rival agent, who then shows up in the sleepy seaside village where Bourne and Marie have been living. The pair run for their lives and Bourne, who promised retaliation should anyone from his former life attempt contact, is forced to once again take up his life as a trained assassin to survive.
Why it matters: Bourne is framed and hunts the truth about Treadstone.
- Starring
- Matt Damon, Franka Potente, and Brian Cox
- Director
- Paul Greengrass
- Box office
- $289 million on a $75 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 81%
No. 03 · 2007 · Film · 1h 55m
The Bourne Ultimatum
Bourne is brought out of hiding once again by reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar, an upgrade to Project Treadstone, in a series of newspaper columns. Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally uncover his dark past while dodging The Company's best efforts to eradicate him.
Why it matters: Bourne learns who he was; ends the original trilogy.
- Starring
- Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, and David Strathairn
- Director
- Paul Greengrass
- Box office
- $443 million on a $70 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8 · Rotten Tomatoes 92%
No. 04 · 2012 · Film · 2h 15m · optional
The Bourne Legacy
New CIA operative Aaron Cross experiences life-or-death stakes that have been triggered by the previous actions of Jason Bourne.
Why it matters: A different agent during Ultimatum's events; optional.
- Starring
- Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, and Edward Norton
- Director
- Tony Gilroy
- Box office
- $277 million on a $130 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 56%
No. 05 · 2016 · Film · 2h 3m
Jason Bourne
The most dangerous former operative of the CIA is drawn out of hiding to uncover hidden truths about his past.
Why it matters: Matt Damon returns, nine years later.
- Starring
- Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, and Alicia Vikander
- Director
- Paul Greengrass
- Box office
- $415 million on a $120 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 55%
No. 06 · 2019 · Series · 7h 10m · optional
Treadstone
The Treadstone project, having created super spy Jason Bourne, turns its attention on a new protocol to develop unstoppable superhuman assassins.
Why it matters: A TV spin-off about other Treadstone agents; optional.
- Starring
- Jeremy Irvine, Brian J. Smith, and Omar Metwally
- Creator
- Tim Kring
- Scores
- IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 50%
- Episodes
- 10
Bourne box office and budgets
The 5 Bourne films with reported numbers have grossed $1.64 billion worldwide on about $455 million in combined budgets, roughly 3.6 times what they cost. The biggest is The Bourne Ultimatum at $443 million, 27% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Jason Bourne ($415 million) and The Bourne Supremacy ($289 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to The Bourne Ultimatum, which made 6.3 times its $70 million budget. The weakest was The Bourne Legacy at 2.1 times its $130 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Bourne movies
Across 6 rated titles, Bourne averages 7.3 on IMDb. The top of the list is The Bourne Ultimatum at 8, then The Bourne Identity (7.8) and The Bourne Supremacy (7.7). At the bottom: Jason Bourne (6.6) and The Bourne Legacy (6.6).
- The Bourne Ultimatum8 · RT 92%
- The Bourne Identity7.8 · RT 84%
- The Bourne Supremacy7.7 · RT 81%
- Treadstone6.9 · RT 50%
- The Bourne Legacy6.6 · RT 56%
- Jason Bourne6.6 · RT 55%
Who appears in the most Bourne movies
Matt Damon leads with 4 appearances as Jason Bourne, ahead of Julia Stiles (4) and Joan Allen (3). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Damon | Jason Bourne | 4 | The Bourne Identity (2002) to Jason Bourne (2016) |
| Julia Stiles | Nicky Parsons | 4 | The Bourne Identity (2002) to Jason Bourne (2016) |
| Joan Allen | Pamela Landy | 3 | The Bourne Supremacy (2004) to The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
| Franka Potente | Marie Helena Kreutz / Marie Helene Kreutz | 2 | The Bourne Identity (2002) to The Bourne Supremacy (2004) |
| Brian Cox | Ward Abbott | 2 | The Bourne Identity (2002) to The Bourne Supremacy (2004) |
| Gabriel Mann | Danny Zorn | 2 | The Bourne Identity (2002) to The Bourne Supremacy (2004) |
| Tom Gallop | Tom Cronin | 2 | The Bourne Supremacy (2004) to The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) |
| David Strathairn | Noah Vosen | 2 | The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) to The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
| Scott Glenn | CIA Director Ezra Kramer / Ezra Kramer | 2 | The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) to The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
| Albert Finney | Dr. Albert Hirsch | 2 | The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) to The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
Bourne directors and creators
4 filmmakers have directed or created Bourne; Paul Greengrass has the most, with 3.
- Paul GreengrassThe Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and Jason Bourne (2016)
- Doug LimanThe Bourne Identity (2002)
- Tony GilroyThe Bourne Legacy (2012)
- Tim KringTreadstone (2019)
How long it takes to watch every Bourne movie
All 6 titles add up to 17 hours: 10 hours of film and 7 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 9 two-hour evenings, or 2 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 8 hours. The longest film is The Bourne Legacy at 2h 15m.
The 4 best rated films: The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Legacy.
Everything takes about 3 weeks; the essentials about 8 days.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Bourne movies can you skip?
2 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 9 hours.
- The Bourne Legacy2012 · Film · 2h 15m · optionalA different agent during Ultimatum's events; optional.
- Treadstone2019 · Series · 7h 10m · optionalA TV spin-off about other Treadstone agents; optional.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Bourne movies in?
Watch the Bourne films in release order: The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy and Jason Bourne. The Bourne Legacy follows a different agent, Aaron Cross, during the events of Ultimatum and can be skipped.
How many Bourne movies and shows are there?
There are 6 titles in the Bourne franchise: 5 films and 1 series, released from 2002 to 2019.
How long does it take to watch all the Bourne movies?
About 17 hours for all 6 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (4 titles) take about 8 hours.
What is the first Bourne title in chronological order?
The Bourne Identity, set in 2002. In release order the first is The Bourne Identity (2002).
Which Bourne titles can I skip?
The Bourne Legacy and Treadstone. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best Bourne movie?
By IMDb score, The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) at 8, followed by The Bourne Identity at 7.8.
What is the highest-grossing Bourne movie?
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), with $443 million worldwide. Bourne films have made $1.64 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Bourne movies?
Matt Damon, in 4 of them as Jason Bourne.
What is the longest Bourne movie?
The Bourne Legacy, at 2h 15m.
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