Rather than go the reboot route, the Matrix franchise is picking back up in its original continuity with The Matrix 4. And while most of the actors who’ve been cast in The Matrix 4 are brand new to this cyberpunk world, there are a handful of familiar faces who are back, most notably Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne-Moss, who played Neo and Trinity, respectively, in the first three Matrix movies.
Like a lot of fans upon hearing the official announcement, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss were surprised when they were approached to appear in The Matrix 4. Luckily for fans of the franchise, they were won over by the pitch, with the two actors recalling:
Carrie-Anne Moss: I never thought that it would happen. It was never on my radar at all. When it was brought to me in the way that it was brought to me, with incredible depth and all of the integrity and artistry that you could imagine, I was like, ‘This is a gift.’ It was just very exciting.Keanu Reeves: Lana Wachowski wrote a beautiful script and a wonderful story that resonated with me. That’s the only reason to do it. To work with her again is just amazing. It’s been really special, and the story has, I think, some meaningful things to say, and that we can take some nourishment from.
Whenever a franchise is revived after being dormant for a long time, an actor who was involved in the original/earlier iteration might not be keen on jumping back in. Clearly this wasn’t the case for Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, with both actors telling Empire how enamored they were with the screenplay and the prospect of getting to work with Lana Wachowski again, who co-created the Matrix franchise with her sister, Lilly Wachowski.
So what is it about The Matrix 4’s story that’s so compelling? Well, the public still hasn’t been clued in on any plot details, so it’s unclear exactly how Neo and Trinity fit into the movie. Still, having Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss together again and working Lana Wachowski at least makes this feel like the good ol’ Matrix days, although fingers crossed that The Matrix 4 will be better critically received than Reloaded and Revolutions.
Along with Keanu Reeves an Carrie Anne-Moss, The Matrix 4 will also see Jada Pinkett Smith and Lambert Wilson reprising Niobe and The Merovingian, respectively. There’s still no word on if Laurence Fishburne, who played Morpheus in the original Matrix trilogy, will be involved.
As for the movie’s new faces, they include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (who is rumored to be playing a young Morpheus), Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Eréndira Ibarra, Andrew Caldwell, Brian J. Smith and Ellen Hollman. Along with directing this latest installment, Lana Wachowski also co-wrote the screenplay with Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell.
The Matrix 4 is still set to come out on May 21, 2021, with filming expected to resume early next month. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates, including if the movie ends up being delayed. You can keep track of what’s supposed to hit the silver screen later this year with our 2020 release schedule.
