Think back to 2003. The Wachowskis were tasked with concluding a revolutionary trilogy of sci-fi thrillers that had plunged humanity into a lifelike recreation of our society, and bringing a satisfying end to the journey of Neo (Keanu Reeves), the One meant to save everyone from the machines. In the closing minutes of The Matrix: Revolutions, it’s predicted that Neo would one day return… and that appears to be happening now, as the first official trailer for Lana Wachowski’s hotly anticipated The Matrix: Resurrections has arrived. We have it for you above.
There are a lot of similarities in this trailer for The Matrix: Resurrections to the initial The Matrix movie, with a confused Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) living in a state of uncertainty and dreamlike deja vu. Mr. Anderson doesn’t appear to be a computer hacker anymore, though he definitely recognizes that lady at the neighborhood coffee shop (Carrie-Anne Moss), even though neither of them can remember where they might have met before.
A strong visual element of this new trailer -- before Neo steps through the “Looking Glass” and returns to the madness of reality -- is the Blue Pill that’s supposed to keep all of us at bay in the illusion. Thomas is swallowing them down, dealing with therapists (Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff) who, at the very least, know that The Matrix exists as an actual thing.
Eventually, though, Neo is given the chance to take that Red Pill (presented to him by Yahya Abdul Mateen II, who has to be playing a young Morpheus) and the action we’ve come to expect from The Matrix franchise kicks into high gear. “If you want the truth, Neo, you’re going to have to follow me,” our hero is told. But what is the truth now? Things should be so much different following the events of the original The Matrix trilogy. How come it looks like we have gone back to the same?
The reason for this, no doubt, will be explained when the movie arrives in December. Two other original actors return alongside Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. Jada Pinkett Smith will be playing Niobe, while Christopher Lambert steps back into the role of The Merovingian. My own personally guess is that the members of reality need Neo to save them one more time, so they have to dip back into the Matrix, release him again, and rescue the worlds. I only wish Hugo Weaving were returning as Agent Smith, because few villains were ever as relentless and terrifying.
The Matrix: Resurrections will be a strange Christmas movie for families, but for fans who grew up on the series, it’ll be interesting to see what new magic Lana Wachowski will be able to bring to the franchise after nearly a nearly 20 year absence. Find out when The Matrix: Resurrections hits theaters and HBO Max on December 22.
