Warner Brothers had been planning for many years to create a sequel to The Matrix. But the Wachowski siblings had repeatedly made public statements over the years that they wanted to move on and tell other stories. The film production company almost made the decision to film a sequel without the creative minds behind the original.
In 1999, the world was taken aback by a wild, extraordinary, and refreshingly new science fiction movie called The Matrix. Its mind-bending futuristic story, advanced special effects for its time, and never-before-seen slow-motion action turned the film into an instant classic, not only of its genre but of cinema history. It was no surprise when a few years later the sequels were greenlit and produced. The Matrix Reloaded in 2003 and The Matrix Revolutions later of that same year, were box office hits. The Wachowski siblings, the creative minds and directors of the cybertronic dystopian future, considered this a goodbye and farewell to a trilogy that was complete and needed no more sequels. Warner Brothers acquired the rights to the franchise and later had different plans in mind.
Over the years after the success of the original trilogy, Lana and Lilly Wachowski had to make multiple public statements to tell the world that they were not interested in making another Matrix movie. Fans were clearly asking for more and Warner Brothers was happy to oblige. Film producer James McTeigue told Collider in a recent interview just how close the movie production company came to greenlighting the project without the participation of Lana Wachowski:
“Look. I think when you’ve had a franchise with that much potential money-making capability, there’s always talk,” said McTeigue. “It’s in the same way that the Marvel Universe repeats and turns in on itself… There’s always potential to update those movies just because of the possibility of making the money and telling new stories. I shouldn’t say it’s just a purely fiscal thought. But yeah, look, there was a version out there, but they hadn’t landed on the right version. So when Lana eventually came back around and said, ‘Look. I’m interested in making another movie,’ of course, they went with the filmmaker who was the genesis of The Matrix.”
It wasn’t until the tragic death of the Wachowski parents that Lana finally decided she wanted to be part of The Matrix Resurrections. Her parents’ life had inspired her to write the love story between Neo and Trinity, and continuing their narrative was something the director wanted to do.
After the box office success of the latest installment, Warner Brothers will more than likely want to make more films. The Matrix Resurrections would serve as the first episode of the new trilogy. Director Lana Wachowski or actors Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss returning for those fifth and sixth episodes is another debate. Fans of the franchise will just have to wait and see what the cyber-future awaits for them.
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