The Matrix 5 - Will It Ever Happen?
The debate surrounding the possibility of "The Matrix 5" rages on, as half the fanbase would welcome further stories in this cyberpunk series while the remaining audience would rather Warner Bros. PIctures leave well enough alone — especially after the divisive reaction to "The Matrix Resurrections."
Hollywood, though, operates on only one principle: Will it make us money? If the answer is yes, then the likelihood of further sequels increases exponentially. The original "Matrix" trilogy proved extremely lucrative for the studio, making over $1.6 billion worldwide. In contrast, 2021's "The Matrix Resurrections" only mustered a whisker under $160 million globally. However, it must be stressed the film fell victim to Warner Bros.' controversial streaming and theatrical simultaneous release strategy, as well as the fact the COVID-19 pandemic still lingered on around the world.
At the same time, blockbuster cinema finds itself in a precarious situation as well, since the audiences are no longer flocking to theaters based on franchise recognition alone. Undoubtedly, this must weigh heavily on the minds of studio executives who hold the purse strings and will question the potential return on investment for everything now. With all that in mind, let's take a look at the chances of "The Matrix 5" ever happening in the near future.
Why isn't The Matrix 5 happening yet?
The film industry operates on a "strike while it's hot" mentality, which is why many sequels get greenlit if a movie performs well on its opening weekend. Before the release of "The Matrix Resurrections," rumors spread that Warner Bros. had grand plans to reinvigorate the Wachowskis' revolutionary sci-fi franchise. After all, 18 years had passed since "The Matrix Revolutions" had been released, so that was more than enough time to make the audience's hearts grow fonder for Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and the rest of these characters.
Unfortunately, "The Matrix Resurrections" didn't prove to be the comeback many might have expected. It polarized reviewers and fans, holding both a 63% critical approval and audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While the original film established itself as a genre-defining feature, this one failed to make much impact at all. Yet, even in the divisiveness, one would struggle to find a single person who could say it was one of the better entries in the series.
Most people picked up on the meta nature of the film; however, it didn't hit home as imagined. MSB Reviews' Manuel São Bento wrote: "The director constantly tries to tell the viewers how incredible the original trilogy is, forgetting to create a compelling, captivating story for this new installment." After such a lackluster response, no one at Warner Bros. rushed to get "The Matrix 5" into production.
What Lana Wachowski has said about a sequel
"The Matrix Resurrections" marked a major change in the franchise due to the fact co-creator Lilly Wachowski opted out of returning for another movie. As a result, Lilly's sister, Lana, handled directing duties on her own and co-wrote the script along with David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon.
Speaking at the San Francisco premiere of the movie, Lana explained how the passing of her parents influenced her decision to board the project in the first place. She cracked the story of Neo and Trinity returning to life as a way for her to deal with her own personal process of loss. The conversation veered off in the direction of the future of the franchise, and the question was raised about whether the movie would be the start of a brand-new trilogy of "Matrix" films. Lana laughed it off at first, then denied any plans for further movies with an unequivocal "no."
Her co-writers also denied talk of a "Matrix Resurrections" sequel in another interview. Hemon explained how they hadn't even had discussions about it among themselves, disclosing that there were many other variables at play in the background that would influence any decision on the matter.
What James McTeigue has about The Matrix 5
James McTeigue, the Wachowskis' longtime collaborator and "The Matrix Resurrections" producer, remained far more coy when asked about the possibility of "The Matrix 5." In an interview with Collider in December 2021, he explained how they were only focused on "Resurrections" and there were no plans for sequels or prequels. At the same time, he couldn't help but leave a tease about what could be explored further if the opportunity presented itself.
"I think the film also works where it's really open to audience interpretation, like what happened in those 60 years before they fished Neo out again, or Thomas Anderson to Neo," McTeigue said. "When Neo and Trinity are there at the end, and they're talking with the analyst, what do they actually mean that they're going to change?"
However, McTeigue stressed that there were no concrete plans to tackle any of these potential story branches yet. He added how all considerations were largely dependent on the film's financial performance and the studio's decision to give the green light to the filmmakers to make more movies. Taking into account the poor box office performance of "The Matrix Resurrections" and how it only managed to grab 2.8 million U.S. households to watch it on HBO Max in its first five days (exactly half the number of people who watched 2021's "Mortal Kombat"), the signs don't look promising.
What Keanu Reeves has said about returning for another sequel
Knock on any door in Hollywood and an actor will appear and tell everyone why it's time for them to move on from a popular franchise. Beloved actor Keanu Reeves doesn't subscribe to this particular school of thought, however, as he expresses gratitude for the opportunities he has been given and the chance to continue portraying these characters. Instead of launching into a diatribe about why Neo's journey should be over after "The Matrix Resurrections," he explained how the co-creator should be the one to decide if there are any further movies in the series.
"That's a Lana Wachowski question," Reeves told Fandom. "I mean, if she wanted to do another story and wanted to include me I would be honored and grateful, and I'd like to see what happens to Trinity and Neo, and the world."
In a separate interview, Reeves praised what "The Matrix" has meant to not only him but also pop culture as a whole. He explained how it touched everything from anime to even how action sequences are shot in modern movies. More than that, he said the philosophical messages of the films remain relevant to this day and touch every part of society.
What could be explored in The Matrix 5?
The ending of "The Matrix Resurrections" makes the possibilities for "The Matrix 5" endless. After defeating the Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris), Neo and Trinity now hold the power to recreate the Matrix in the way they wish. Logic dictates that they would turn it into a utopia rather than a nightmare. However, that doesn't make for riveting viewing or exciting storytelling, so there would need to be an anomaly or proverbial glitch in the Matrix to stir up trouble and create conflict.
"The Matrix 5" could also be the opportunity to hand the keys of the franchise over to a new set of characters to reinvigorate it. While the audience loves Neo and Trinity, this world should be bigger than them. "Resurrections" introduced Bugs — played by Jessica Henwick — and she could be a major character to carry the franchise forward and allow it to evolve in a different direction.
Alternatively, "The Matrix 5" could take a page from the 2023 video game "Mortal Kombat 1" and function as a soft reboot of the franchise, focusing on familiar characters in a harmonious new world until someone kicks the hornet's nest. Due to this, a new timeline of events could be created where foes are now friends, and vice versa.
Who would star in The Matrix 5?
The potential cast for "The Matrix 5" depends on the nature of the story being told, but the movie holds the ability to rectify several of the casting missteps of "The Matrix Resurrections." Take nothing away from the performances of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jonathan Groff, who portray variations of Morpheus and Agent Smith in the film, but it doesn't feel the same without Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving in those iconic roles.
Producer James McTeigue revealed that Weaving could have returned as the infamous antagonist but there were scheduling conflicts and COVID-19 affected plans too, while Fishburne said that he didn't receive the phone call to put on the shades and the trench coat again. If Morpheus and Agent Smith are to figure in subsequent stories, though, the original actors should have the chance to reprise these parts.
On the good news front, Keanu Reeves confirmed that he would return for further sequels if asked to, while Carrie-Anne Moss also said that she would be on board to continue Trinity's journey. In terms of the new actors to the franchise, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who plays an older version of Sati in "Resurrections," expressed interest in the opportunity to develop her character further and find out where she ends up in this universe.
The Matrix Resurrections is a middle finger to the studio
What is striking about "The Matrix Resurrections" is how meta it is. A scene in the film shows Thomas Anderson talking to his boss about "The Matrix" video game series. Anderson's boss turns to him and explains how Warner Bros. is adamant it will continue the franchise with or without their involvement. Unquestionably, this draws parallels to the real-life situation between the Wachowskis and the studio, as the filmmakers held no interest in returning to the franchise for many years, while Warner Bros. decided it would continue "The Matrix" — with or without them.
Producer James McTeigue confirmed the studio's intentions to continue regardless whether the Wachowskis came back or not, but added that Warner Bros. was happy to have one of the original creators on board for "Resurrections." McTeigue also said that the scene in question is simply a joke about the situation and how everyone perceives "The Matrix."
That said, there's no denying that "The Matrix Resurrections" throws metaphorical haymakers at the studio. It parodies the nature of the franchise business and how the Hollywood system views art as nothing more than a disposable product to peddle to consumers. Even in the way the film ends, it deliberately leaves an opening for a sequel in the most on-the-nose manner. Perhaps Lana Wachowski intentionally delivered the exact kind of movie the studio wanted to ensure that the fans rejected it, therefore ending "The Matrix" once and for all.
The Matrix 5 might happen as a video game
The Wachowskis expanded "The Matrix" into the video game world in the form of the 2003 video game "Enter the Matrix," which they wrote and directed. They continued to return to the medium throughout the years, and Lana stepped back in 2021 through "The Matrix Awakens." Released to coincide with the opening of "The Matrix Resurrections," "Awakens" is a demo created by Epic Games and Warner Bros. to show off the capabilities of the 3D tool Unreal Engine 5.
"The Matrix Awakens" digitally recreated Neo and Trinity, while Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss provided the voices for their characters in a short adventure. While it isn't a long video game or deep story, it demonstrates the power of the technology and what could be done in the right hands. Considering the Wachowskis' history with video games and the freedom the medium tends to provide creators — in comparison to the film business — never write off the possibility that they could continue the story here instead of on the big screen.
What happened to the Morpheus prequel?
Alongside Neo and Trinity, Morpheus stands out as one of the most important characters in "The Matrix" franchise. He played a major role in the original trilogy, while the alternate version of him appears in "The Matrix Resurrections." In 2017, rumors surfaced that Warner Bros. was actively working on a few potential ideas to revive the franchise and expand the world. One of them involved a Morpheus prequel.
As with any morsel of gossip in Hollywood, elements of truth and fiction existed in this story, but which was which is anyone's guess. At one point, Michael B. Jordan's name came up as a possible contender to portray the younger Morpheus. E! decided to go straight to the source and asked Jordan in 2019 about the rumor of him playing a younger version of the iconic character.
"I honestly can't tell you anything," Jordan said. "I can pass the lie-detector test right now, I promise. I don't know. Laurence Fishburne, 'The Matrix,' that whole world is amazing. I love it. I'm a big fan." He added that the studio could call him if it wanted to talk about a film and wanted him to be a part of it. No further news about this project's development has surfaced since the release of "The Matrix Resurrections."
What happened to Zak Penn's script?
When the news broke that Warner Bros. wanted to bring back the "Matrix" franchise in 2017, screenwriter Zak Penn's name was attached to one of the reported projects. Penn himself confirmed his involvement after dispelling a rumor that his script would be a reboot of the series, stating there was no way that could ever happen. Instead, the screenwriter alluded to how his story would take place within the already established universe and expand from there.
After Lana Wachowski's "The Matrix Resurrections" involvement became official, most presumed that Penn's story was dead in the water and wouldn't move forward at all. However, he took to X — formerly known as Twitter — to explain the situation in October 2019, writing: "People keep asking, so let me clarify there are two different 'Matrix' projects at WB. I wrote one set earlier in the timeline of 'The Matrix' universe. Lana Wachowski is directing a sequel that I did not work on, but can't wait to see."
Penn's explanation lends credence to the rumor that a young Morpheus film may have been in the making at the studio, but there has been stone-cold silence on the status of that project for more than a few years now. Considering all the mergers and corporate merry-go-round at Warner Bros., it's possible the script may still be floating around.
Make no mistake, the studio will revisit the Matrix again
Everybody dreams of the ability to print money. Most film studios harbor this special skill, as they own cherished intellectual properties with the potential to make billions of dollars for them.
In November 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav revealed that the studio plans to take advantage of all the franchises it owns. He said that he didn't believe properties such as Superman and Harry Potter had been capitalized on as much as they should have been, having lay dormant for too many years. Zaslav and his executives must undoubtedly be keeping close tabs on "The Matrix" as well.
While "The Matrix Resurrections" flopped for the studio, no one can ignore the $1.6 billion that the original trilogy brought in. There aren't many billion-dollar franchises in the industry, so the studio is likely to try its luck again and see if the audience bites. While "The Matrix 5" might not be at the top of the priority list right now, don't be surprised to see the franchise return in some fashion — whether it be as a new film or series — in the near future.