'The Matrix 5' is in the works at Warner Bros., produced by Lana Wachowski: What we know
Warner Bros. is ready to re-enter The Matrix.
A new "Matrix" film is in the works at Warner Bros. Pictures, with Drew Goddard ("The Cabin in the Woods") set to write and direct, the studio revealed on Wednesday.
This will be the first film in the sci-fi franchise not directed by Lana or Lilly Wachowski, the filmmaking duo behind the original "Matrix" trilogy. However, Lana will serve as executive producer. Plot details are being kept under wraps, and it isn't clear if Keanu Reeves or any other cast members will return.
"Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25-years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters," Warner Bros. Motion Pictures President of Production Jesse Ehrman said. "The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis' spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio."
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In a statement, Goddard said the "Matrix" movies "changed both cinema and my life," adding that the Wachowskis' "exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world."
The Wachowskis directed all three films in the original "Matrix" trilogy, which began with the 1999 hit following a man, Neo (Reeves), who discovers he is living in a simulation created by machines that have enslaved humanity. Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving also starred.
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After the original "Matrix" trilogy concluded with 2003's "The Matrix Revolutions," the series returned nearly 20 years later with 2021's "The Matrix Resurrections," which Lana Wachowski directed solo. In a meta twist, the plot involves a video game designer who has created a popular series, "The Matrix," and is pressured to make a sequel by Warner Bros, an apparent reference to Wachowski's reluctance to continue the series.
"The Matrix Resurrections" was a box office disappointment, grossing only $37 million at the domestic box office, although like all of Warner Bros.' 2021 films, it was released on HBO Max simultaneous with its theatrical debut. It isn't clear if the new "Matrix" film will be a direct follow-up to the plot of "Resurrections."
Goddard previously directed the 2012 horror film "The Cabin in the Woods" and the 2018 thriller "Bad Times at the El Royale." He also wrote 2008's "Cloverfield" and 2015's "The Martian," earning an Oscar nomination for the latter, and created the Netflix series "Daredevil."