'Matrix 5' In The Works; Will Keanu Reeves Return As Neo?
A new installment in the "Matrix" film franchise is reportedly in development.
Warner Bros. has announced that the fifth "Matrix" movie is in the works and will be helmed by Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg, according to Variety.
Goddard, "The Martian's" screenwriter, will take on the filmmaking duties while Esberg will co-produce and co-write the script with him. On the other hand, former "Matrix" director Lana Wachowski will executive produce.
It is not clear yet who from the "Matrix" universe will return for the fifth installment. It is also unknown whether Keanu Reeves, who starred in the previous "Matrix" movies, will reprise his role.
The final scene of the fourth "Matrix" film, "The Matrix Resurrections," showed Neo (Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) returning to the Analyst's office and talking about being free from control and doing as they wish.
In all the previous "Matrix" movies, the Canadian actor portrayed the role of computer programmer Thomas Anderson, known by his hacker name Neo.
While the cast and plot details for "Matrix 5" have not been revealed yet, Jesse Ehrman, Warner Bros.' Motion Pictures' president of production, teased what the story will be like.
"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 honoring 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 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."
Goddard also honored Lana and Lilly Wachowski's artistry, saying, "Lana and Lilly's exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell their stories in their world."
Lana and Lilly helmed the first three "Matrix" films: "The Matrix" (1999), "The Matrix Reloaded" (2003) and "The Matrix Revolutions" (2003).
However, Lilly stepped away from the "Matrix's" fourth installment. During a Television Critics Association summer press tour in 2021 for "Work in Progress," she revealed why she left her sister Lana to solo direct the film.
Lilly said she was "completely exhausted" from working on "Cloud Atlas," "Jupiter Ascending" and "Sense8" Season 1 "back-to-back-to-back" at the time.
"So you're talking about three 100-plus days of shooting for each project, and so, coming out and just being completely exhausted, my world was like falling apart to some extent even while I was like, you know, cracking out of my egg. So, I needed this time away from this industry. I needed to reconnect with myself as an artist, and I did that by going back to school and painting and stuff," she explained.
