There have been scant-few details about the new “Matrix” movie for the legion of fans around the world since it was first announced in 2019, but there have been a few tidbits that have given us some clues about some key elements of the film.
“Matrix 4” was first announced in August 2019, with Lana Wachowski writing and directing. Both Wachowski siblings made the first three films in the franchise, but Lana will be taking the fourth one solo.
When it was first announced, “Matrix 4” was given a release date of sometime in 2022, but bucking a significant trend in Hollywood at the moment, that date has been brought forward to December of this year, which should delight the millions of Matrix fans around the world.
The latest release date will put the film in direct competition with Marvel’s “Spider-Man 3,” which would be a daunting prospect for just about any IP. However, if any franchise can out-do the famous web-slinger, it could be the Matrix.
The first three films followed the story of Neo (Keanu Reeves), a bored software developer by day and genius hacker by night with a tingling feeling that there was more to the world than meets the eye. He finds out he is right when he discovers that the world he knows is nothing more than a computer program created by rogue machines that have taken over the real world to keep human’s blissfully unaware and subdued.
Even for science fiction, the story was revolutionary in 1999 and quickly earned the franchise millions of fans across the globe. Two sequels were released within a few months of each other in 2003, along with a series of anime short films titled “The Animatrix.”
The success of the franchise has led to the release of video games such as “Enter the Matrix” and “The Path Of Neo.” There have also been comic books, such as the deluxe edition published by Burlyman Entertainment in 2019. The impact of the franchise can be noticed in the iGaming industry too, as there’s an official The Matrix slot game at casinos like bet365 and 888 casino. Reading up on resources like the bet365 casino NJ review shows that there are many popular titles across different genres for players.
No plot synopsis or potential story arc has been revealed or even spoken about at this stage. The fact that the end of the original trilogy tied the story up quite nicely means that there are very few hints about where Lana Wachowski intends to take the fourth film in the franchise.
Early speculation seemed to lean towards the film being a prequel or even a hard reboot or remake of the first film, which has always been the most popular of the trilogy. While it is unlikely to be a remaster, a reboot isn’t out of the question narratively as the cycle of death, rebirth and reincarnation is a strong theme throughout the three films.
A potential name for the film was leaked when a makeup artist shared a picture on social media of an apparent “thank you” gift they received at a wrap party with the title “Matrix: Resurrection” written on it. The title would make sense for many reasons, but the post was quickly removed, and the title has neither been confirmed nor denied by anyone working on the project.
Only a few of the original cast and crew will be returning for the fourth film. Keanu Reeves will reprise his role as Neo and Carrie-Ann Moss will return to play Trinity (even though her character was killed in “The Matrix Revolutions”). Jada Pinkett Smith will be back as Niobe with Lambert Wilson’s Merovingian also part of the story.
There have been rumours that Morpheus will be a part of the fourth movie with a younger actor chosen to replace Laurence Fishburne, which seems to indicate the film with either be a prequel or involve some kind of time travel.
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