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‘Matrix 4’ filming might re-start this summer, after a coronavirus delay

Updated May 14th, 2020 1:48AM EDT
Matrix 4
Image: Melinda Sue Gordon/Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Kobal/Shutterstock

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  • The Matrix 4 release date of May 2021 still looks to be on track, at least for now. That’s thanks to the fact that filming on this fourth installment in the franchise, which was interrupted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic back in March once production moved to Europe, may get to pick back up again as soon as this summer.
  • The Matrix 4 cast has signed extensions that keep them available through at least July 6.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Two months after production was halted thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, filming for the long-awaited fourth installment of the Matrix franchise may resume by this summer.

The film’s cast, which has been on hiatus since the production shutdown back in mid-March, has signed eight-week extensions that will keep them available and not free to pursue any other work through at least July 6. Variety reported the extensions on Wednesday, and the assumption is that it means production could resume in July or even earlier. Also important to know: As of now, the movie (unofficially dubbed Matrix 4) is still on track for its May 2021 release, as Warner Bros. has not yet said whether the temporary halt to production will knock the film’s schedule off-course.

The movie already has several weeks’ worth of filming in the can thanks to production that started in San Francisco in February. Then, everything moved to Berlin in March where filming was supposed to pick back up — except, Europe became an early coronavirus hotspot, so everything there was pretty much brought to a halt, which is where things have stood on the movie since then. Word of the pause in shooting came the same day as Germany decided to seal its borders to close off five of its European neighbors — Austria, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.

Warner Bros. ordering a pause to the filming after bringing a similar halt to other movies it’s been working on, as the coronavirus pandemic exploded into a global catastrophe. King Richard, which had been filming in Los Angeles, along with Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley biopic that had been shooting in Australia, both hit pause, along with other Warner Bros. productions like Fantastic Beasts 3.

Anticipation for the Matrix 4 movie has been building for weeks now, thanks to everything from fans already excited about the possibility of revisiting the franchise to the up-close look many of them got in San Francisco during filming that teased them about what’s to come. And just a few weeks ago, stunt coordinators for the movie gave an interview in which they promised fan that Matrix 4 will absolutely deliver for them. “It’s incredibly fun,” one of them said. “I think if you’re a fan of the original trilogy you’re gonna love this.”

Andy Meek Trending News Editor

Andy Meek is a reporter based in Memphis who has covered media, entertainment, and culture for over 20 years. His work has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Forbes, and The Financial Times, and he’s written for BGR since 2015. Andy's coverage includes technology and entertainment, and he has a particular interest in all things streaming.

Over the years, he’s interviewed legendary figures in entertainment and tech that range from Stan Lee to John McAfee, Peter Thiel, and Reed Hastings.