Ludlum thriller "Matarese" has studios circling

By Steven Zeitchik and Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Move over, Matt Damon.

A package based on a best-selling Robert Ludlum novel is creating a buzz as it has been pitched to studios this week. And there's a good reason: Denzel Washington is attached to play the hero.

The project, "The Matarese Circle," centers on two secret agents, an American and a Russian, who must work together to fight a mysterious group of killers known as the Matarese, The twist: the agents, Bradley Scofield and Vasili Taleniekov, have been nemeses for years, with each responsible for killing someone close to the other. According to those familiar with the pitch, Washington would play Scofield.

Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, the scribes behind the recent "3:10 to Yuma" remake and the upcoming Angelina Jolie thriller "Wanted," are attached as writers.

Nearly all the major studios have heard at least a version of the pitch, with several thought to be keenly interested; however, no deal had been struck.

After decades during which Ludlum's novels failed to gain big screen traction, the late novelist is now hot in Hollywood. Universal's "Bourne" series, based on his globehopping Cold War novels and with Damon as the title character, has earned more than $900 million worldwide.

"Matarese" could be attractive to studios seeking a new franchise. The property is the only other Ludlum invention to feature more than one novel; a second book, "The Matarese Countdown," was published in 1997.

Universal, meanwhile, has announced a fourth "Bourne" movie reteaming Damon and director Paul Greengrass, though Ludlum wrote only three novels. Two recent Bourne books were written by Eric Van Lustbader and published after Ludlum's death in 2001, with a third Van Lustbader title expected in the summer.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter