Matrix is a franchise that has been making a mark throughout the 21st century. As one of the most popular and effective science fiction sagas in history, it has undoubtedly become a reference for all those directors who want to delve into the genre. Now, Warner has just confirmed that we will have a fifth installment of Matrix… but without a figure that until now seemed indispensable in the saga.
Lana Wachowski, the director of The Matrix Resurrections (2021) and co-director of the other three films alongside her sister Lily Wachowski, will not direct or write the next installment of Matrix. Although she will still be an executive producer, she has stepped down from this role after the fourth film received mixed reviews that left her with a bittersweet taste.
Will it be a reboot or a sequel?
But Warner has already confirmed who will replace The Wachowskis in this fifth installment: Drew Goddard. The screenwriter of Cloverfield, The Martian and World War Z, as well as the director of The Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale, has been chosen to take the lead in this ambitious project.
The project has just started its development, so we don’t know yet if Keanu Reeves will return as Neo, as well as his colleagues like Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne-Moss or Hugo Weaving. Perhaps, Warner will take advantage of this impasse to create a reboot or a completely different installment of Matrix… but it’s something we won’t know until the development progresses. Jesse Ehrman, Warner’s president of production, has justified Goddard’s signing this way:
“Drew arrived at Warner Bros with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the world of Matrix, honoring what Lana and Lilly started over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on their own love for the series and the characters.”
