In India, today is the day when the third installemnt of this thrill-packed series releases across the country. The first of the series, gave a new “identity” to Matt Damon and repositioned him as an action-man. The second installement reigned “supreme” at the box-office and by now, the loyal fans. And the thrid one promises to be the “ultimate” treat in this trilogy.
But what’s most surprising about this Robert Ludlum created character is the author himself. Ludlum has been dead for more than six years but books continue to appear under his name. This comes from a unique arrangement, wherein the Ludlum estate has decided to treat his name as a brand and use “ghost-writers” to write under his name, and ensure that the writing style is as close to Ludlum as possible. Well, this is what a marketing guy would call as “brand-extension”!
For example, Eric Van Lustbader a well-know fiction author in his own right has extened the Bourne series by writing two novels in the series. And guess what they have sold well and made more money under the overall “Ludlum” brand. The twenty first century capitalism thus may end up preserving certain authors for a long time to come. What about new authors then? As any market economist will tell, as long as the product is good …
Supreme identity! whens bourne 3 ultimately happening?