In Hollywood, sequels, remakes, and reboots there’s been a lot of chatter about the potential comeback of one big property: The Matrix film. A new report throws a bit more fuel on that particular fire, as John Wick: Chapter 3 director Chad Stahelski says the Wachowski siblings are working on a new installment in the series.
Rumors of a reboot or continuation of the franchise have circled for a couple of years.
Speaking to Yahoo! Movies, Stahelski suggests that not only is a Matrix film in the works but that the Wachowskis are involved and that it would be a continuation of the original three films.
The original Matrix debuted in theaters 20 years ago, and the Wachowskis followed up with a pair of sequels, The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions, to mixed reviews. They also oversaw a series of comics; a video game, The Matrix Online, which was set in the aftermath of Revolutions; and The Animatrix, a series of animated shorts set in the Matrix universe.
Revolutions certainly leaves open the possibility of more stories as the war between humanity and machines came to a close with the entire Matrix getting a reboot. The Oracle and Architect’s final scene shows that there’s still some tension, but the peace will last “as long as it can.”
Whether or not the statement is accurate, it’s obviously, the type of situation to approach with a salt shaker at the ready: directors and actors say things all the time while speaking with the press, and Stahelski does hedge a bit, noting that he’s not sure whether Lana Wachowski will be involved as a director. There have been rumors that the sisters will be retiring after they sold their production office in Chicago last year.
Presumably, any sequel or tie-in could explore the nature of the post-Revolution world and those tensions between humanity and the machines. Or it could deal with the Matrix breaking down and what post-Matrix life looks like. Certainly, having the Wachowskis return to direct or oversee that reboot would be preferable, given how they’ve directed and conceptualized the philosophy and world.
The original creators may not necessarily be a requirement for any continuation, although The Matrix has always had the Wachowskis’ special brand imprinted on its world, it’s hard to see how any future of the franchise wouldn’t involve them.
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