Another Matrix movie is in the works with a new writer-director

[midian182]

In a nutshell: In news that might surprise some of those who watched the last entry in the franchise, a new Matrix movie is being made by Warner Bros. The upcoming fifth installment will be the first without Lana or Lily Wachowski directing, though Lana Wachowski will be an executive producer.

The next Matrix movie will be written and directed by Drew Goddard, whose past credits include the excellent The Cabin in the Woods, The Martian, Cloverfield, World War Z, and Bad Times at the El Royale. His TV work includes classics from the late 90s/early 2000s, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Alias, and Lost, as well as newer shows such as Daredevil and The Good Place.

Warner Bros. never revealed if main cast members Keanu Reeves or Carrie-Anne Moss would be returning for their fifth outing, or if Lawrence Fishburne or Hugo Weaving will come back after skipping the last movie.

Warner Bros. Motion Pictures President of Production Jesse Ehrman said in a statement, "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."

"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," the executive added.

The first Matrix movie took viewers' breath away when it arrived in 1999. The two sequels, both released in 2003, never received as much acclaim, but The Matrix Reloaded still grossed $739.4 million worldwide, the third-highest of the year, while The Matrix Revolutions made $427 million, making it the eighth highest-grossing film of the year.

While The Matrix Revolutions appeared to end the trilogy, a fourth movie, The Matrix Resurrections, arrived in 2021. The first Matrix to be directed solely by Lana Wachowski released to very mixed reviews – both its critic and audience scores are 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. It grossed just $159.2 million worldwide, though it did arrive during the lockdowns and was one of the first movies to be released in both cinemas and on a streaming service (HBO Max, as it still was then) simultaneously, a move that led to WB being sued.

While this writer certainly wasn't a fan of The Matrix Resurrections, news that Goddard is writing and directing the next instalment is promising, given his past work. The writer-director himself sounds excited to be involved. "It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life," Goddard said. "Lana and Lilly's exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world."

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Another Matrix movie is in the works with a new writer-director

 

[VitalyT]

I would have very low expectations, based on the terrible last movie. It's now all about milking the franchise till it's dry (apparently, the last one wasn't enough), not to add any value to the original story. Likely it will be just another insult to the fans.

If you like movies with Keanu, but tired of all the shooting, check out the unusual but fun 2018 movie "Destination Wedding"

 

[Superconductor]

Won't waste my time

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Tacking on movies to previous ones often leads to awful sequels, you either purposefully make a movie in parts to begin with as part of a single story (Star Wars) or you have a formula system (James Bond) has so you can have variations of the original concept.

Zion was destroyed 5 times before, that's 5 potential movies.

 

[VitalyT]

Zion was destroyed 5 times before, that's 5 potential movies.

There wasn't any Zion before, the architect was just playing mind f-k with Neo.

 

[Endymio]

Tacking on movies to previous ones often leads to awful sequels

Regression to the mean explains most of that. Still, there are times the sequel matches or even surpasses the original -- Aliens or Road Warrior, for instance, or The Godfather Part II. Even 'Silence of the Lambs' was technically a sequel to a film nobody saw called "Manhunter".

 

[brunocasarini]

Just like Indiana Jones, Matrix should've been left to the original trilogy.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Loved the first one.
Second was so bad I didn’t watch the third.
Learned about fourth one in this article. LOL
Fifth? -facepalm-

I don't understand why Hollywood is terrified of making something new.

 

[Squid Surprise]

They blew it with the 3rd movie - I've heard rumours that it faced heavy rewrites due to various external pressures...

Honestly, it SHOULD have ended with us finding out that Neo and Trinity et al were actually AIs - and that the machines LOST the original war against the humans when they destroyed the sun... Zion == 01

The matrix is actually humanity's way of rehabilitating the AIs with the hope that they can help restore the sun and live harmoniously with mankind.

Alas, we got the crap called Matrix Revolutions instead...

 

[fadingfool]

Just like Indiana Jones, Matrix should've been left to the original trilogy.

Just like Highlander, Ghostbusters, Starship troopers and the Blues Brothers, Matrix should have been left as a single movie.......

 

[RandomWAN]

There wasn't any Zion before, the architect was just playing mind f-k with Neo.

Multiple characters make reference to there having been more than one "The One" throughout the movies. Their cycle was not the first.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Multiple characters make reference to there having been more than one "The One" throughout the movies. Their cycle was not the first.

Which would be why it would have made SO much sense for them to have been AIs... humans continuing to wipe/reprogram the AIs until they met their expectations...

 

[Alfonso Maruccia]

I've just purchased the "definitive" edition of the four Matrix films on Ultra HD Blu-ray disks. Now I'm pissed.

 

[toooooot]

Pass.
Prediction though: They will make a female Morpheus, and they will go above and
beyond to show the viewer how much cooler she is than him.
But because they cannot do it subtly, it will be just the black actress saying things
that they think would make her very awesome and strong.

 

[Stingy McDuck]

I'm still surprised Warner greenlit and released the big trolling that was the fourth movie. Didn't those executives realize they were being insulted by the movie itself?

 

[ZedRM]

Excellent!! I love the Matrix movies, including the latest! Looking forward to this new adventure!

 

[ZedRM]

I'm still surprised Warner greenlit and released the big trolling that was the fourth movie.

You clearly didn't watch it. Or maybe you're one of those die-hard-core types that think the story needed to end with the first movie?

The entire series has been great and this new one will be be too.

 

[RandomWAN]

You clearly didn't watch it. Or maybe you're one of those die-hard-core types that think the story needed to end with the first movie?

The entire series has been great and this new one will be be too.

No, the 2nd and 3rd movie were arguably far less well-written than the first. It was obvious the Watchowskis weren't planning on sequels and that WB just threw money at them to make the tried and true trilogy. I remember that they said as much and that's why they had the compressed production schedule since they filmed Reloaded and Revolutions back to back.

I won't ever bother with the 4th as everything I've seen of it and read about the plot is utter drek writing that does a disservice to the characters and identifies it as a blatant money grab, much like all of the efforts out of Hollywood anymore.

 

[fazy shah]

They ruined the series with the last movies they made and now more so they can grab more $$$

 

[Atmajaya2020]

I quite like the original trilogy...
the fourth, quite boring..
and, why does there have to be a fifth...
imo, this film should be rebooted/remade with a new concept and storyline..

 

[TheBigFatClown]

Just like Highlander, Ghostbusters, Starship troopers and the Blues Brothers, Matrix should have been left as a single movie.......

Yes, lots of sequels are just plain horrible!

 

[zavrix]

Excellent!! I love the Matrix movies, including the latest! Looking forward to this new adventure!

Yep I loved all of them and can't wait either. Not every bodies cup of tea but I'm a starter to check it out when it's released.

 

[ZedRM]

No, the 2nd and 3rd movie were arguably far less well-written than the first.

That depends on who you ask. Some feel the writing was different, not worse.

It was obvious the Watchowskis weren't planning on sequels and that WB just threw money at them to make the tried and true trilogy. I remember that they said as much and that's why they had the compressed production schedule since they filmed Reloaded and Revolutions back to back.

There is that theory floating around. I don't really care. All of the Matrix movies have been fun in their own way and an adventure that doesn't disappoint, if one takes the time to appreciate them.

 

[VitalyT]

Pass.
Prediction though: They will make a female Morpheus, and they will go above and
beyond to show the viewer how much cooler she is than him.
But because they cannot do it subtly, it will be just the black actress saying things
that they think would make her very awesome and strong

They will make Neo transgender, and do large crowd parties like in Matrix 3, but homo ones. Zion will raise LGBT flags everywhere.

 

[RandomWAN]

That depends on who you ask. Some feel the writing was different, not worse.

There is that theory floating around. I don't really care. All of the Matrix movies have been fun in their own way and an adventure that doesn't disappoint, if one takes the time to appreciate them.

It's not a theory. While the ending wasn't shut and closed, it wasn't an ending framed as if they were expecting a sequel. The Wachowskis admitted to it at the time, and it was a full-on blitz as they released everything Matrix in 2003. Both movies, the Animatrix, the stacks of product tie-ins, Enter the Matrix, etc. Many of the production staff have come forward with how much heavy-handed studio/producer involvement was.

In regards to how badly written the sequels are, I'd say the box office returns made it clear how most people felt. Reloaded got everyone with the marketing blitz, but Revolutions only made half as much which put it at the same level as the orignal film which was a relative unkown/unexpected hit at the time of it's release.