There was a collective groan from the film community when a fourth Matrix was announced. It’s understandable considering that major IPs are being mined and exploited to their own graves. With that said, not every remake or sequel or sidequel or whatever you wanna call it is problematic, which I why I like to take the “wait and see” approach. Shit, the new Matrix movie is directed by Lana Wachowski, which should have instilled instant confidence.
But what’s the fourth film’s purpose? Will it have something different to say? Is there an interesting new approach, especially when the first film was nothing short of groundbreaking?
Warner Bros. shared new details about the film at the ongoing CinemaCon, revealing not only the title but a really intriguing setup that should raise eyebrows.
First, the official title is The Matrix Resurrections, which could be a reference to Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) Jesus-like death and resurrection(s) at the end of both The Matrix (1999) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003), or possibly it’s teasing the restoration of the machines. Possibly both?
And then there’s the plot. Here’s the quick pitch: Neo is in therapy and doesn’t remember The Matrix. He runs into Trinity at a coffee shop…
“The trailer begins with Neil Patrick Harris talking to Keanu Reeves’ Neo,” details Deadline. “A near future San Francisco. It appears that Neo is trapped in a humdrum world, much like his first self in the 1999 movie. He’s just not getting his surroundings.
“Am I crazy?” asks Reeves’ Neo. “We don’t use that word in here,” says Harris’ therapist.
Reeves comes in contact with Carrie Anne Moss’ Trinity in a cafe: “Have we met?” she asks Neo.
A shot of blue pills spilling into a sink, as Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” song plays.
Then a shot of Neo distorting into an old man in the mirror. A younger Morpheus tells Neo “time to fly,” handing him a red pill.
Then a lot of jumping, a lot of twists in midair, karate and all the acrobats we expect from a Matrix movie.
The Matrix Resurrections is still slated to come out on December 22, most likely in theaters and on HBO Max.
