Bourne Star Arrives for MNL Shoot

The fourth installment of Ludlum’s “Bourne” series is set to be filmed in several locations around the Metro next week.

Preparations are abuzz all around the Metro for the filming of the latest installment of the “Bourne” movie series as its Hollywood stars start arriving in the country.

Rachel Weisz who plays the female lead in the “Bourne Legacy” set foot in the Philippines Sunday night, several days before their schedule shooting dates.  The movie, which is expected to be shot in the Philippines for about 45 days, continues the super-spy fiction thriller based on the Jason Bourne novel series penned by Robert Ludlum.  This installment, however, passes off the character of Jason Bourne that was played by Matt Damon for the first three movies of the series.  Taking the lead role of a controversial CIA agent is “Hurt Locker” star Jeremy Renner.  In contrast to the previous movies in the series that revolved around the memories of Jason Bourne and his action-packed escapades as he tries to rediscover his identity, this movie is said to revolve around other characters who have been affected by Jason Bourne’s actions. 

The Metro Manila Development Authority is coordinating with the local producers of the movie in order to make sure that preparations are in order and that the proper crowd and traffic control mechanisms are set in place when the shooting starts.  Statements of the MMDA to the effect that they have to do some clean up of the city to prepare for the shoot were rumored to have almost caused the movie’s international producers to scrap the Philippine shoot altogether.  The local producers, however, backed the MMDA and explained that the clean-up is not intended to unrealistically beautify the city for the movie.  MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino even said that this is the first time that Manila will be shot in an international film as Manila rather than any other similar Asian cities.  “Maganda ang pagpapakita sa Metro Manila at sa ating bayan,” Tolentino said after reading the script of the film.   

Tolentino said that traffic would be affected as the film is shot in various locations around the Metropolis including the Pasay-Taft rotunda, the Marikina market, downtown Manila, Intramuros, the Makati Business District, and Navotas among others.  Towards the end of the movie, the cast will shoot scenes in El Nido Palawan.  Tolentino said that appropriate traffic warnings and rerouting advisories will be announced two to three days before the scheduled shooting dates to help motorists plan out their alternate routes. 

Photo:  abs-cbnnews.com