Gautam Anand
The news that countless Matrix fans have been waiting for years. Yes, ‘Matrix 4’ is officially happening! Lana Wachowski, of Wachowski sisters who directed the first three Matrix films, is set to write and direct a fourth film, with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss coming back for their roles as Neo and Trinity, respectively. Variety first reported the news.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures will jointly produce and globally distribute the film. Toby Emmerich, Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman, made the announcement on Tuesday, saying, “We could not be more excited to be re-entering ‘The Matrix’ with Lana. 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.”
The script of the film has been written by Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell, along with Wachowski. If things go well, the film will begin production in the first quarter of 2020. Notably, executives at Warner Bros. have been trying very hard to get the film off ground, but issues over production rights kept holding things down. But Keanu Reeves recent golden run at the box office combined with Wachowski returning to direct the film, proved to be perfect catalyst to allow everything to fall in place. Reeves had indicated sometime back that he will only return to make a fourth film if Wachowskis are involved in significant capacity. It seems once his wish was granted, he had no qualms about joining the project.
The plot details of the new film is still under wraps, though since it is set in the same universe as the first three films, one can expect most of the surviving characters from earlier films to make a comeback. That’s why casting of Carrie-Anne Moss makes sense. There will also be several new additions to the cast, which we will come to know about in the coming days.
‘The Matrix’ is not just of the most successful franchises of all time – the previous three films have collectively earned more than $1.6 billion at the global box office — but it also has a massive cult following. The news of ‘The Matrix 4’ is certainly a welcome surprise for all those who were waiting to see Neo back in action. “Many of the ideas Lilly and I explored 20 years ago about our reality are even more relevant now. I’m very happy to have these characters back in my life and grateful for another chance to work with my brilliant friends,” Wachowski said after the announcement. It will be interesting to see what direction Wachowski takes with the fourth film, especially since technology has improved in leaps and bounds over last 20 years.
