New ‘Matrix’ Movie in the Works, Drew Goddard Writing and Directing
Warner Bros. is officially working on a fifth installment of the Matrix franchise, though with a twist this time: Drew Goddard will be writing and directing, as opposed to the Wachowskis. The studio made the announcement on Wednesday, saying it was Goddard who approached them with the concept.
Warner Bros. Motion Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“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. The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making his new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis’ spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”
The filmmaker added:
“It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life. Lana and Lilly’s exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world.”
The Matrix came back in 2021, 18 years after the Wachowskis’ trilogy that culminated with back-to-back sequels released in 2003. The Matrix: Resurrections was helmed only by Lana Wachowski and spent a good chunk of the narrative making fun of its own concept. It brought back Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss to the big screen as their respective characters too.
But right now, details on the new installment are unclear. Will it bring back Neo, Trinity, and the whole gang, or will it focus on a different story altogether? The Matrix: Rebooted has a nice, albeit in-your-nose ring to it.
This is simply the latest iteration of Warner Bros. Discovery milking its own catalog to try to pretty itself up for a buyer. The window of opportunity for CEO David Zaslav to merge with, sell to, or buy another company will open this month, and it’s no secret that Zaslav wants to take part in that. The content divisions have been resurrecting multiple high-profile franchises, from the Harry Potter series adaptaiton being developed for Max, to a new deal to make more Lord of the Rings movies, or the complete creative overhaul of the DC franchise. They have also been signing big deals with hot creators in town.
Zaslav likes to advertise these big moves in his quarterly earnings calls with investors, so we might get more details, along with a release window, over the next few months.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
