T

he project, “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: The agents, Bradley Scofield and Vasili Taleniekov, have been nemeses for years, with each responsible for killing someone close to the other. According to those familiar with the pitch, Denzel Washington would play Scofiel and, from the looks of it, Matt Damon plays Taleniekov.Nearly all the major studios have heard at least a version of the pitch, with several thought to be keenly interested; however, no deal had been struck until now. MGM nabbed the film today.According to the Hollywood Reporter, ‘”Matarese” could be attractive to studios seeking a new franchise. The property is the only other Ludlum invention to feature more than one novel; a second book, “The Matarese Countdown,” was published in 1997. Universal, meanwhile, has announced a fourth “Bourne” movie reteaming Damon and director Paul Greengrass, though Ludlum wrote only three novels. Two recent Bourne books were written by Eric Van Lustbader and published after Ludlum’s death, with a third Van Lustbader title is expected in the summer.
“Matarese” could be attractive to studios seeking a new franchise. The property is the only other Ludlum invention to feature more than one novel; a second book, “The Matarese Countdown,” was published in 1997. Universal, meanwhile, has announced a fourth “Bourne” movie reteaming Damon and director Paul Greengrass, though Ludlum wrote only three novels. Two recent Bourne books were written by Eric Van Lustbader and published after Ludlum’s death, with a third Van Lustbader title is expected in the summer. Borys Kit in Los Angeles contributed to this report