The Matrix 4 is a movie that most of us never likely believed we'd actually see. And the odds were that even if the movie happened, it would probably be somewhat different from the original trilogy of films. And yet, as we speak The Matrix 4 is in production starring Keanu Reeves and being directed by Lana Wachowski. It looks to be very much a true sequel to the trilogy that influenced so many. Of course, nobody really expected the movie would be in production under such bizarre circumstances.
The movie first began filming on the streets of San Francisco and was in the process of moving to Germany to film on stages there when the pandemic began to spread. Production was shut down on Matrix 4 as it was for everything else, but now filming is back underway in Germany. Keanu Reeves recently spoke to Variety, where he says that everything is going surprisingly well, and while there are new safety protocols in place, filming is functioning largely as if nothing has changed. According to Reeves...
I’m here in Berlin, and everybody who’s working on the production has worked thoroughly and in concert with the local government and industries and the Babelsberg, [Germany] studios. The protocols are in place. They’re effective. The process of filmmaking has felt normal, which I’m really grateful for. And knock on wood, everybody’s been OK. We’re about three weeks in. The writers [David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon] and the director [Lana Wachowski] have come up with a beautiful, beautiful story. It’s really thrilling to be making a Matrix movie.
Since the filmmaking apparently feels normal, that would seem to imply that it's moving at the same speed that it otherwise would, which means we hopefully won't expect to see any additional significant delays. Considering how potentially complex a Matrix film can be, it was possible that the new safety guidelines could have made some of the filming more difficult.
It's unclear if the Matrix 4 cast and crew are working within a "bubble" in the way that the NBA started its season, but three weeks without any incidents of the virus is a goods sign as any infection would likely have presented itself by now. If cast and crew are limiting their outside contact, then things should continue to be clean and production should move forward without incident. A positive test would likely shut everything down once again and cause more delays.
Keanu is certainly happy to be making a Matrix movie again and fans are certainly looking forward to seeing it. if only because nobody is quite sure what to expect. Originally planned for a 2021 release, The Matrix 4 has been pushed back to April 2022 as a result of the production delay.
