Fans of the Jason Bourne movies (based of the novels by Robert Ludlum) – The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum – have a hard time seeing the franchise moving forward without the ever-likable and ever-talented Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo), but I’m here to say this summer’s fourth installment, a spin-off called The Bourne Legacy, looks absolutely amazing.

And really, how could it not be anything but spectacular? It’s directed and written by Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter behind the previous three movies and the director of one of my favorite films, Michael Clayton, and the movie also boasts an eclectic cast of thespians, headlined by Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Rachel Weisz (The Lovely Bones), Edward Norton (Leaves of Grass), Joan Allen (The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum), David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum), Albert Finney (The Bourne Ultimatum) and Scott Glenn (The Bourne Ultimatum).

Not much is given by way of plot and story details, but it sounds like Renner plays another secret government assassin, Aaron Cross, created by the same group, Treadstone, that developed Jason Bourne.  In the trailer Norton’s character calls him “an outcome agent” and a female voice is heard saying he’s “Treadstone without the inconsistency.” I don’t know what all this means, but with a first-rate director, a stellar cast and a kick-ass trailer, this movie just vaulted on to my summer 2012 must-see list. I think you’ll agree. Check out the trailer below.

The Bourne Legacy hits theaters on August 3, 2012.