Ludlum's last novel THE SIGMA PROTOCAL is fast-tracked

Variety say that Robert Ludlum's novel The Sigma Protocol is being fast tracked by Universal who have just hired Iron Man scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway to adapt. It was the last novel written by Ludlum before his death in 2001 and was actually picked up by the studio before release of The Bourne Identity film but they have never found a take on the material they liked to go ahead with it, until now.

"The Sigma Protocol" revolves around a young investment banker who discovers a secret organization that has been manipulating the global economy. When the banker tries to expose the scheme, he's targeted for death.Universal are fast tracking the project so much that Holloway and Marcum have put aside their script for the Highlander redo until they completed this project.

Ludlum's brand name has never been bigger for movies than right now. A fourth Bourne movie is expected sometime down the road reuniting Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon - The Matarese Circle is being made into a Denzel Washington thriller - and The Chancellor Manuscript has been eyed as a DiCaprio vehicle for the last three years but has so far gone unrealised.