Last summer, it was announced that The Matrix 4 was in the works, although unlike with the previous movies, Lana Wachowski would be the sole director of this franchise revival, as opposed to helming alongside her sister, Lilly. Nevertheless, it sounds like Lana Wachowski has a grand vision for The Matrix 4 that won't skimp on the insanity.
John Wick directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, both of whom worked on the original Matrix trilogy as stunt performers, have been helping out Lana Wachowski with The Matrix 4 on a conceptual level. Here’s what Stahelski recently had to say about what Wachowski has in store:
She comes with, ‘This is the character. This is what’s happening. This is the conflict. This is where I need him to be emotionally or psychologically or whatever plot-wise at the end of this sequence. What do you got in your bag of tricks to make it absolutely crazy?’ She’s one of those great people that she’ll tell us something and we’ll say, ‘Okay, we’ve got this.’ Then she’s like, ‘Oh my God, that’s awesome. I didn’t think of that, but what if we took this and made it this?’
As is the case with most blockbuster productions, particularly ones based off existing franchise or intellectual property, plot details concerning The Matrix 4 are being kept a tightly-guarded secret. Aside from the return of some familiar faces from the earlier movies, we have no idea of what to expect yet from this return to the digital realm that took the late ‘90s and early 2000s by storm, although some rumored (and still unverified) story details surfaced last December.
In any case, Chad Stahelski sounds confident that Lana Wachoswki intends to deliver a spectacle that’ll rival, if not exceed what what shown in the previous Matrix movies. With a sci-fi franchise like this, more crazy elements are certainly welcome. Stahelski also mentioned during his interview with THR that Wachowski is one of the most challenging people he’s ever worked with (in a good way), and that if you love the Matrix trilogy, then you’ll love what she’s cooked up for The Matrix 4 “because she’s brilliant and fun and understands what the fans want.”
The Matrix 4 will see the return of Keanu Reeves’ Neo, Carrie Anne-Moss’ Trinity, Jada Pinkett Smith’s Niobe and Lambert Wilson’s Merovingian. As for newcomers, The Matrix 4 cast includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Jonathan Groff, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Eréndira Ibarra, Andrew Caldwell, Brian J. Smith, and Ellen Hollman.
The movie kicked off principal photography at the beginning of February in San Francisco, but filming paused in the middle of March. The plan is to start rolling cameras again in July. Lana Wachoswki co-wrote The Matrix 4’s script with Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell.
The Matrix 4 is still set to come out on May 21, 2021, but if it ends up being pushed back, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know. Learn what movies have been delayed over the last several months with our detailed guide.
