More problems with Universal, go figure, that studio is in the worst condition possible. And this isn’t going to help. The Playlist is reporting that director Paul Greengrass has “quit” Bourne 4 over issues with the studio. It’s a long and elaborate story but to sum it up, basically Greengrass wasn’t happy that they hired a new screenwriter to develop a parallel script. And Universal isn’t happy with Greengrass because he went way over budget on Green Zone and is apparently still spending money editing that. And because Universal is a bit finicky with their money right now (and are in desperate need of a huge hit), everything fell apart.

To make matters worse, apparently Matt Damon is loyal to Greengrass, and that may cause problems like how Dick Cook leaving Disney made Johnny Depp weary of returning for more Pirates of the Caribbean movies. They also say that Greengrass walking away is just a “typical Paul move” and that there’s a chance they could work things out and he could be back on board in a few months. Obviously Universal didn’t want this news to get out, but now it’s out there and now it’s going to be on our minds from this point forward. And if Greengrass doesn’t return, who else can they get. Will the franchise be ruined by another director?

We’ve been hearing bits and pieces about Bourne 4 since the moment The Bourne Ultimatum hit theaters in 2007. Originally they hired George Nolfi, who helped write Ocean’s Twelve as well as Bourne Ultimatum, to start writing a Bourne 4 script. Then in August of this year, after years of stagnant development and a script no one liked, Universal separately hired Josh Zetumer, another up-and-coming writer, to write a “parallel” Bourne 4 script. That decision got under Greengrass’ skin and now he’s walking away. Now that this news is out there, the studio will probably say something, but it won’t be the real truth like The Playlist is reporting.

Discover More: Movie News, Opinions