Whoa: New Matrix Movie Coming From Director Drew Goddard
Get ready to return to "The Matrix," this time with a brand new filmmaker at the helm. Warner Bros. has indeed decided to revisit one of the most beloved action/sci-fi franchises of all time, with Drew Goddard ("The Cabin in the Woods") set to write and direct the forthcoming sequel installment. This will mark the first time since the original movie hit theaters in 1999 that neither Lana nor Lilly Wachowski will not be involved in a directing capacity.
According to Variety, Lana Wachowski is on board as an executive producer for the new film, which does not currently have a title. Plot details are being kept under wraps at this time. There's also no word yet on casting, so it's unclear if Keanu Reeves or Carrie Anne-Moss, for example, will return. Goddard had this to say about it:
"It is not hyperbole to say 'The Matrix' films changed both cinema and my life. Lana and Lilly's exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world."
Lana and Lilly Wachowski helmed the original "Matrix" trilogy together, with Lana Wachowski flying solo for 2021's "The Matrix Resurrections." Lilly Wachowski is currently directing her first new movie in nearly a decade in the form of "Trash Mountain." In any event, they will be sitting on the sidelines for this one, as Goddard gets the opportunity to put his stamp on one of the most important properties in cinema history.
Drew Goddard finally gets to make a big franchise film
Goddard has made his mark in Hollywood directing movies like "The Cabin in the Woods" and "Bad Times at the El Royale." He's also been a producer on big shows such as "Daredevil" and "The Good Place," in addition to writing blockbusters like "The Martian" and "World War Z." Yet, Goddard has never closed the deal on directing a big-budget movie, despite getting close several times over the years. He was rather famously attached to write and direct a "Sinister Six" movie as part of Sony's "Spider-Man" universe. However, that project ultimately never came to pass.
"The Matrix" was a gigantic hit in 1999, pulling in $463 million worldwide and redefining action cinema in the process. While the sequels remain as divisive as ever, the franchise has, all told, generated $1.79 billion to date. More importantly, these characters and this universe are a permanent fixture in the pop culture landscape. As such, it gels with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's mission to double down on franchise filmmaking in the future, even if the last entry in this particular series was a bit of a financial disaster.
2021's "The Matrix Resurrections" is the lone flop of the bunch, pulling in just $159 million worldwide against a huge $190 million budget. The pandemic was certainly to blame, as was the film's simultaneous release on what was then known as HBO Max. Be that as it may, the film was a financial trainwreck, one that led Village Roadshow to sue Warner Bros. Nevertheless, the studio feels there's still value in returning to this universe with a fresh perspective.
The new "Matrix" movie does not currently have a release date.