Names and faces
For Matt Damon, the Bourne films have been like a lifeblood. “I was kind of inoculated for that five- or six-year period when I made the first three. I could make decisions with absolutely no thought to what the potential box office was,” says Damon. “It was liberating in that sense. I knew that if I had another Jason Bourne off in the middle distance, it would kind of rescue me and keep my career afloat for a few more years.” In Jason Bourne (out July 29), Damon returns to the spy franchise that made him a full-blown movie star. “It’s obviously the most significant thing that’s happened in my career,” Damon said in an interview from the set of Alexander Payne’s Downsizing. “I definitely knew I wanted to do it again, but I was always kind of tethered to Paul [Greengrass],” who did Damon’s last two Bourne movies. “I knew I didn’t want to do it without him.” It’s been nine years since The Bourne Ultimatum, but the franchise, based on Robert Ludlum’s novels, has kept spinning. The Bourne Legacy in 2012 starred Jeremy Renner as another secret agent. Damon says the delay in his reprising the role was partially caused by a struggle to find a worthy next chapter for the character. The time helped: Jason Bourne was inspired by Edward Snowden and more recent debate over civil liberties.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are adding their star power to President Barack Obama’s initiative to boost opportunities for vulnerable young Americans. The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation said Friday that it will launch a Careers in Entertainment Tour to support Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative on its two-year anniversary. In keeping with the initiative’s goals, the tour will be aimed at helping underserved high school and college students interested in entertainment industry careers, the foundation said. The president’s initiative was begun in 2014 with the goal of helping minority-group boys and young men as well as other young people overcome barriers so they can fulfill their potential. It has enlisted businesses, nonprofit organizations and local government in the effort. The tour, set to begin this fall, will be done in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and other organizations, the foundation said.