Denzel attached to Robert Ludlum novel

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

As Universal, Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon ponder over the future of the Bourne franchise, veteran producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Weschler are circling another one of Robert Ludlum's novels around Hollywood. The Hollywood Reporter say they have convinced Denzel Washington to star in an adaptation of the best-seller The Matarese Circle, starring as one of two leads. Washington would play Scofield, the American secret agent who along with a Russian agent is given an assignment to take down a mysterious group of killers known as the Matarese - however the twist is that both agents are resposnible for killing someone close to the other.

The book will be adapted by that constantly in work writing duo Derek Haas & Michel Brandt(3:10 to Yuma, Wanted). Sounds cool, I'm actually quite surprised it's taken this long for another Ludlum novel to actually be put into motion after the success of the Bourne series. Because of my absolute ignorance of 30-40 something Russian actors, I'm gonna say why not cast Viggo Mortensen for the Russian part? He felt more Russian than some Russians in Eastern Promises!