The Matrix 5 could happen if director Lana Wachowski wants to make it, Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff has said.
In an interview with Sarnoff and WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, Deadline notes that the upcoming The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment in the franchise, was "originally conceived to reboot the series on the big screen." Addressing what would happen if Warner Bros.' 2021 hybrid release strategy – which sees films like The Matrix 4 and Dune release simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters – could jeopardize these plans, Sarnoff commented, "Anytime Lana [Wachowski] wants to make a movie, we're all in."
The Matrix Resurrections is so far almost completely shrouded in mystery. There has been one action-packed trailer, though, which revealed Keanu Reeves' Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity no longer recognize each other. There's also a website that allows you to choose between the red and blue pill, which then prompts teasers with extra footage not included in the trailer. Thanks to the official synopsis, we also know the Matrix is "stronger, more secure, and more dangerous than ever before."
While Reeves and Moss are returning, Laurence Fishburne will not be back as Morpheus. Instead, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be playing "a different iteration" of the character. Hugo Weaving will also not be returning as Agent Smith due to scheduling conflicts, and Lilly Wachowski isn't co-directing this time round, either.
Newcomers to the franchise include Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, and Priyanka Chopra, all playing unknown roles – though a theory suggests Chopra is playing the young exile Sati, who was last seen in The Matrix Revolutions.
The Matrix Resurrections arrives this December 22 in theaters and on HBO Max in the US. Until then, get up to speed on the franchise with our ultimate The Matrix recap.
