Huge 'Jason Bourne' chase scene wrecked this many cars

Matt Damon in 'Jason Bourne' (Photo: Universal)

LAS VEGAS — What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Unless it's full-on car-destruction-mayhem from the Jason Bourne shoot.

The action-thriller starring Matt Damon as former CIA assassin Jason Bourne brought an unprecedented closure to the famed Las Vegas Strip for the spectacular car chase. Things went boom, cars got clobbered.

This is especially clear in the Jason Bourne trailer when a SWAT truck driven by Vincent Cassel (known only as The Asset) rolls through Vegas and cars going after Damon's Bourne. We had to ask producer Frank Marshall just how many cars were destroyed in the screen madness.

Marshall knew the number right off the top of his head: 170 cars.

And how did he know that number so quickly? "I counted, I had to pay the bills," said Marshall, adding that these were just the destroyed cars from the scene. "They are all in a trash heap somewhere."

Producer Frank Marshall attends the Las Vegas premiere of 'Jason Bourne.' (Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty Images)

With a little more reluctance, Marshall did cop that this was close to a half-a-million in car costs alone — provided by manufacturers, but modified for the scene.

It made for great watching even shooting the stunts which are almost entirely practical (VFX was used to erase safety elements and camera platforms).

Damon would watch the stunts from his hotel room late into the night, even facing an early morning call the next day for work.

"We would shoot all day. And the second unit would go out and start blowing stuff up," said Damon. "I would stand at our window and watch. It was like, 'I know it’s time to go to bed, I have to get up at 6 a.m. But I just want to see this.' "

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One noble vehicle survivor was The Asset's SWAT truck, which ended up rolling right through the Riviera Hotel & Casino. Marshall pointed out that the building was set to be destroyed anyways (officially it was taken down in June). So Jason Bourne and that truck just helped the cause.

"I have always wanted to take a building that was going to be demolished and use that in the movie," Marshall said. "So we helped destroy the Riviera."

Surprisingly the custom-built SWAT truck was okay, allowing Marshall to marvel.

"It took out the marquee, went right into the lobby. But the SWAT truck survived pretty well. That thing was built to last," he said.

The results were all worth it for Marshall, even if he had to send J.Lo flowers for delaying one of her Vegas concerts with all the road closures.

The Bourne spy franchise has filmed chases in Paris, Moscow and Tangier.

"But we have never shut down a main thorough-fare," said Marshall. "I feel it’s our best chase yet. I am thrilled with how it came out."

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