For an actress who has largely steered clear of the tentpole world, it looks like Rachel Weisz is ready to trade in status as a top tier actress for some mad bank.
Deadline reports that just a week after it was reported that Weisz was looking to nab the role of the elder witch in “Oz The Great And Powerful,” the actress has put another huge franchise in her sights. The actress is now looking to take the female lead role opposite Jeremy Renner in “The Bourne Legacy” directed by Tony Gilroy. Whoa.
Female roles in the franchise haven’t ended well for the characters. Franke Potente was killed off in “The Bourne Supremacy” and the possibility of romance with Julia Stiles was secondary to “The Bourne Ultimatum” which was more about Jason Bourne’s mission to finally get to the bottom of Operation Treadstone. Not much is known about the film except that it will focus on a different person entirely leaving the door open for Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass if/when they want to. But certainly, throwing Weisz into the mix puts two huge acting talents front and center of the pic, which is tremendously exciting.
The only question left is if Weisz can do both ‘Oz’ and ‘Bourne’ or if she will have to choose between the two. The former shoots this summer with the latter starting in September so it’s conceivable she could do both, but schedules will have to be locked. Still, it’s another exciting development in an entry that is shaping up to be no mere spinoff.
