I’ll be honest: this came completely out of left field for me. After Jason Bourne jumped off a building at the end of The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007, I was sure we’d heard the last from him and Treadstone. Apparently not. Tony Gilroy, the narrative architect behind the first three Bourne films, takes the helm as the writer/director in this next chapter, The Bourne Legacy.

Gilroy, who also wrote/directed Michael Clayton and Duplicity, introduces us to a new hero – played by Jeremy Renner – whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.

Joining Renner are Bourne newcomers Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.

In case you were wondering, the Bourne franchise has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office to date.

The Bourne Legacy hits theaters August 3, 2012.

The Bourne Legacy