*Courtesy of Universal Pictures, Kennedy/Marshall, Ludlum Entertainment.*

After a competitive bidding process, NBCUniversal announced Wednesday that it has secured, in perpetuity, all rights (except publishing) to Robert Ludlum’s iconic Jason Bourne and Treadstone novel series. The acquisition ensures the spy saga’s ongoing presence within NBCU’s portfolio, setting the stage for new chapters and preserving Ludlum’s celebrated world of espionage.

“Since its debut in 2002, the iconic Bourne franchise has reshaped the spy genre with groundbreaking films that set new standards for cinematic action,” said President of Universal Pictures, Peter Cramer. “We’re energized to continue expanding the Bourne universe into the future with exciting new stories for global audiences.”

The Ludlum estate reclaimed the rights earlier this year after their lapse at Universal, then launched an auction. WME led the process, drawing seven bids—from two streaming platforms, another major studio, and several independent ventures. Universal ultimately matched the top proposal, described by insiders as a “very large deal.”

Jeffrey Weiner, Chairman & CEO of Captivate Entertainment and executor of Ludlum’s estate: “We are thrilled that the Bourne franchise will remain at Universal. We look forward to working with the Universal team to expand the Bourne franchise across Universal’s varied platforms.”

The new agreement keeps longtime Universal partner and veteran producer Frank Marshall at the helm of upcoming films, alongside Captivate’s Jeffrey Weiner and Ben Smith. Captivate has overseen the Ludlum estate’s rights since 2001.

Universal has released five Bourne films to date, four of them starring Damon: ‘The Bourne Identity’ (Doug Liman), ‘The Bourne Supremacy’ and ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (both directed by Paul Greengrass), and ‘Jason Bourne’ — plus the Jeremy Renner-led spinoff ‘The Bourne Legacy,’ directed by Tony Gilroy. Collectively, the franchise has earned over $1.64 billion worldwide.

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