MATT DAMON KUIPUA'THE GREEN ZONE'

Even With Matt Damon's Star Power,  'Green Zone' Isn't Netting Much Green Matt Damon's new action thriller "Green Zone" -- set in the early years of the Iraq War -- made anything but green over the past weekend. "Green Zone" had an estimated budget of $100 million and has made an estimated $16 million to date. At this rate, it's difficult to envision any scenario where "Green Zone" can recoup its investment. Even if overseas earnings are taken into consideration -- believe it or not, foreign markets are not clamoring to see an American account of the war in Iraq -- the film has still only grossed $26.5 million. Damon and director Paul Greengrass made two very successful past projects together: "The Bourne Supremacy" (Greengrass took over directing duties from "The Bourne Identity" director Doug Liman) and "The Bourne Ultimatum." It was reported in The New York Times that the only reason "Green Zone" was green-lighted (pardon the pun) by Universal Pictures in the first place was to woo Greengrass back to direct a fourth Bourne film. In November, Greengrass stated that he decided not to return for another Bourne film, and just last week Damon said that he will also not be making a fourth film. It was a risky bet for Universal, and it's one they may have lost. The film that the studio got stuck with is of a genre that historically has performed quite poorly at the box-office: films about the war in Iraq. "Green Zone" certainly is not bucking that trend. "The Hurt Locker" recently won the Academy Award for best picture. However, this did not help "Locker" at the box office: So far, the Oscar-winning film has made only $21.3 million. Other Iraq War-themed films have not fared much better, and sometimes quite often, worse, including: "In the Valley of Elah" ($6.7 million), "Body of Lies" ($39 million), "Grace Is Gone" (under $1 million), "The Kingdom" ($47 million), "The Messenger" ($1 million), and "Stop-Loss" ($10.6 million). What does this mean for Damon's career? Probably very little. "Green Zone" had been sitting on the shelf for two years, and Damon -- one of the biggest stars in Hollywood -- has more than moved on, earning an Academy Award nomination this year for "Invictus" and currently filming the Coen brothers' western "True Grit." Greengrass is currently in preproduction for the Vietnam War-set film "They Marched Into Sunlight."