New ‘Bourne’ film adds Riz Ahmed as CIA tech
Nightcrawler star Riz Ahmed was praised for his breakout performance but 2015 has been a quiet follow up. Now Ahmed is lining up a few big projects that will certainly put him in the limelight. Ahmed will be joining the fifth Jason Bourne film, nicknamed Bourne 5 until an official title is released.
Variety reports that Ahmed has a “key role” in Bourne 5 as a CIA tech specialist. His casting comes several weeks into shooting, but the trade’s sources say filmmakers always wanted Ahmed for the part, but ran into conflicts with his Star Wars: Rogue One schedule. Bourne 5 is currently filming in Budapest.
Matt Damon is back as the lead character, with Julia Stiles returning as Bourne’s buddy Nicky. Scott Shepherd (Bridge of Spies) plays the deputy director of the CIA, and Tommy Lee Jones is another high-ranking CIA official. Vincent Cassel is the villain — described as “a mysterious man simply known as The Asset, industry code for assassin.” Alicia Vikander and Ato Essandoh are also part of the cast.
Director Paul Greengrass is also back, directing Bourne 5 (which was a condition of Damon’s return to the franchise) from a script he co-wrote with Christopher Rouse. Greengrass will also produce with Damon, Frank Marshall, Greg Goodman, and Ben Smith, while Rouse and Henry Morrison serve as executive producers.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Damon has been making noises like “austerity-riddled Europe” and “post-Snowden world.”
Although Jake Gyllenhaal received the most praise for the film Nightcrawler, Ahmed earned a lot of notoriety and helped him book Star Wars: Rogue One. Fans of British comedy may also recognize him from the uproariously funny terrorism comedy Four Lions.
Other notable entries on his resume include Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna.
Bourne 5 arrives in theaters on July 29, 2016.
