Despite the mixed reviews that followed 2021’s Resurrections, Warner Bros. isn’t about to give up on The Matrix, confirming a new instalment in the sci-fi franchise is on the way. This time, Drew Goddard, the producer behind Netflix‘s Daredevil series and sci-fi epic The Martian, and director of The Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale, will write and direct Matrix 5. At the same time, Lana Wachowski, co-creator of the Matrix universe, will step into an executive producer role. Besides writing and directing, Goddard will also produce the film with his partner at Goddard Textiles, Sarah Esberg.
Per Deadline, the cast for this new chapter in the Matrix universe is yet to be determined and could see the return of the original stars, Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, and Jada Pinkett Smith. Newcomers from The Matrix Resurrections, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, might also reprise their roles, although it’s too early to say anything.
RELATED: Cameron Diaz and Keanu Reeves Could Reunite for Jonah Hill’s Comedy ‘Outcome’.
As with most announcements of upcoming films, specific plot details for Matrix 5a re still under wraps and it’s unclear whether the final script has been locked or not. However, Warner Bros. Motion Pictures President of Production, Jesse Ehrman, suggested that the story will push the Matrix universe forward while staying true to what made the series so successful in the first place.
“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 honouring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” said Jesse Ehrman.
“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.” While the upcoming Matrix 5 director Drew Goddard said, “It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life. 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.”
For sci-fi fans, 1999’s The Matrix is a must-watch. The film follows a computer hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves), who’s unhappy with his mundane life when a mysterious contact leads him to a hidden truth: the world he thinks he knows is actually a digital simulation, the Matrix. Thrown into a rebellion fighting for humanity’s freedom, Reeves’ Neo must choose between the familiar comfort of his simulated existence and the harsh reality of a world at war with machines.
The film revolutionized special effects and became a genre cornerstone, spawning sequels like The Matrix Revolutions (2003), and even a recent return in 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections, which failt to live up to the lofty heights. While the future of the franchise remains to be seen, it’ll be interesting to see where the story of Matrix 5 takes us and whether Neo will be back or not.
