It’s time to swallow the red pill once again. Apparently, the rabbit hole goes even deeper.
Variety has reported that a fourth Matrix film has been officially greenlit, involving three of the original key collaborators: stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss (once again reprising the fated heroes Neo and Trinity) in a script written and directed by Lana Wachowski, one of the two sibilings who created and guided the groundbreaking turn-of-the-millennium trilogy. (No mention was made as to why Lilly Wachowski is not involved, or why this will mark the first time that the two have not worked together.)
No plot details were given, nor have any other casting decisions been announced.
Rumors have been circulating for a couple of years about the possibility of a new Matrix movie, but most reports suggested that it would be a reboot, not a direct sequel. Now that a sequel has been confirmed — involving its two main stars returning in their iconic roles, no less, along with an original creator — the anticipation is officially high.
The conventional wisdom is that both sequels (The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions) are problematic and subpar compared to the original, but the Revolutions finale was the only entry that proved a major letdown for me. I thought Reloaded was a thrilling continuation of The Matrix mythos, and I hope that The Matrix 4 will recapture what those first two did so brilliantly, both in terms of a bold vision and philosophical intrigue.
A release date for The Matrix 4 was not given, or even a year, nor was an official title, but one might suspect that Summer or Holiday 2021 would likely be its global launch.
In the meantime, you can experience the original Matrix like never before when a newly remastered version plays exclusively in AMC’s Dolby Atmos theaters, complete with that format’s exclusive Dolby Vision picture and Dolby Atmos audio, for one week only beginning on Friday August 30th. The fully remastered trilogy will be available for the first time in 4K home video on October 30th.