A fifth Matrix movie is on the way, Warner Bros. announced today, with The Martian and The Cabin in the Woods' Drew Goddard on board to write and direct.
It'll mark the first Matrix installment to not have Lana or Lilly Wachowski in the directing chair, although Lana Wachowski will executive produce. In its announcement today, WB did not reveal if any of the key cast members, like Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, will be returning, nor did it disclose any details about the plot.
“Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25-years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters," Warner Bros. Motion Pictures President of Production Jesse Ehrman said in a statement. "The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis’ spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”
“It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life," added Goddard. "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.”
Goddard began his writing career in the '90s on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and would go on to rack up a number of TV writing credits including Angel, Alias, Lost, Daredevil, and The Good Place. In film, he earned an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay for Ridley Scott's The Martian; worked on the screenplays for Cloverfield and World War Z; and served as screenwriter/director on The Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale.
The Wachowskis wrote and directed the first Matrix movie back in 1999, introducing a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality, and following Reeves' hacker Neo as he uncovers that truth. It became a massive hit, leading to two direct sequels in 2003: Reloaded and Revolutions. Overall, The Matrix franchise has earned more than $1.8 billion at the worldwide box office.
The Wachowskis, however, were long hesitant to make another movie in the franchise, despite continued interest from Warner Bros. Nearly two decades would pass before the release of the fourth Matrix movie, 2021's The Matrix Resurrections, which was the first Matrix film to be solely directed by Lana Wachowski.
That film got mixed reviews and disappointed at the box office, grossing $159.2 million worldwide on a reported budget of $190 million. It's worth noting, though, that it was debuted while COVID-19 lockdowns were still affecting movie theaters, and it was one of the films to be released both in theaters and on what was then called HBO Max (now Max) on the same day.
IGN gave The Matrix Resurrections a 4/10, calling it "a bunch of really good ideas stacked together to make a bad — and sometimes ugly — film."
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
