The long-awaited fourth entry in The Matrix franchise is in the works. Now officially titled The Matrix: Resurrections, the sequel will be the first film in the franchise since The Matrix Revolutions in 2003. While information regarding the project has been relatively scarce, here is what we know.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated Sept. 9, 2021 to add the first trailer for The Matrix: Resurrections.
What Do We Know about The Matrix 4 Story So Far?
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return as Neo and Trinity, respectively, despite the apparent deaths of the characters in Revolutions. So, there may be a very good reason the sequel is titled The Matrix: Resurrections.
Descriptions of a trailer screened Aug. 24, 2021, to theater owners at CinemaCon detail Reeves' Thomas Anderson confiding to his therapist (Neil Patrick Harris), “I had dreams that weren’t just dreams," yet having no recollection of the Matrix. He later runs into Moss' character, but they don't recognize each other. The Hollywood Reporter's account notes that Neo appears to have additional powers.
Who Are The Matrix 4's Cast & Crew?
While the original Matrix trilogy was handled by both Wachowski sisters, only Lana Wachowski will return for The Matrix: Resurrectons. “We could not be more excited to be reentering The Matrix with Lana,” said Toby Emmerich, Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman. “Lana is a true visionary — a singular and original creative filmmaker — and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing, and producing this new chapter in The Matrix universe.”
Lana is also co-writing the screenplay with novelists Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell. The latter of the two authored Cloud Atlas, which the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer adapted into a film in 2012. “Many of the ideas Lilly and I explored 20 years ago about our reality are even more relevant now,” Wachowski said in a statement. “I’m very happy to have these characters back in my life and grateful for another chance to work with my brilliant friends.”
In addition to Reeves and Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith will reprise her role as Niobe, while Lambert Wilson and Daniel Bernhardt return as The Merovingian and Agent Johnson, respectively. Plenty of newcomers will also join the franchise, including Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jones, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Max Riemelt, Toby Onwumere, Ellen Hollman, Andrew Caldwell, Brian J. Smith, Eréndira Ibarra, Christina Ricci and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving won't reprise their original trilogy roles as Morpheus and Agent Smith for The Matrix: Resurrections. Weaving, for his part, was in talks to return, but those negotiations fell through as a result of his commitments to London's National Theatre. Fishburne has said he was not asked to return, though he wishes the production well.
The Matrix 4 Trailer & Release Date
Following its screening Aug. 24, 2021, for theater owners at CinemaCon, the first trailer for The Matrix: Resurrections was released online Sept. 9,
Because of productions delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. moved the film's release from May 21, 2021, to Dec. 2021. As with the studio's other 2021 films, The Matrix: Resurrections will premiere on the HBO Max streaming service the same day it arrives in theaters.
The Matrix: Resurrections will release simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max as part of Warner Bros. plan to move its 2021 release slate to the streaming service.
This article will be updated as more information is made available.