This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the original Matrix film that introduced us to Neo, Morpheus and the world of green scrolling code — and there also happen to be fresh indications at the moment that fans may be able to jack back into the franchise soon.
Chad Stahelski, the director of John Wick 3 who also worked as Keanu Reeves’ stunt double during the filming of The Matrix, revealed in an interview with Yahoo Movies UK that the Wachowski siblings are apparently moving forward with a fourth movie. While he said he’s not sure if both Wachowskis are actually directing, he not only described the project in pretty concrete terms — but the Matrix star himself is likewise excited by the prospect of donning shades to play Neo again.
“I’m super happy that the Wachowskis are not just doing a Matrix, but they’re expanding what we all loved,” Stahelski told Yahoo Movies UK. “And if it’s anywhere near the level of what they’ve already done, it wouldn’t take more than a call to go, ‘Hey, we want you to be a stunt guy’ and I would probably go and get hit by a car.”
A continuation of the Matrix story has certainly been talked about and the subject of rumors for several years now, with Ready Player One screenwriter Zak Penn even penning a script. “That would be a gift,” Reeves told Yahoo Movies UK in response to his possible return to the role of Neo. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”
For many fans and critics, the two movies that followed the original — The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions — were something of a let-down, thanks in part to overly ponderous, complex additions to the storyline. They were nevertheless both visual marvels, like the original. When The Matrix Reloaded was released in 2003, it quickly found itself the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time — at least temporarily.
Reboots and the revisiting of beloved pop culture franchises are all the rage at the moment, it seems, so perhaps now is indeed the time to attempt a project like this. Of course, there’s been no official word yet from the studio or from the Wachowskis themselves, so stay tuned before you all start saying “Whoa” amongst yourselves. There, I said it.
