It wasn’t a banner year for Warner Bros.—‘Lego Movie 2,’ “Godzilla: King Of The Monsters” underperformed, “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” did well, but wasn’t a runaway hit, and “Motherless Brooklyn” and “The Goldfinch,” failed to connect during the awards season. Aside from the $1-billion-grossing “Joker,” the studio didn’t really have any monster-sized hits, but regardless, WB is looking ahead to the future.
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On that horizon is undoubtedly what the studio hopes to be a new franchise and restart to the ‘Matrix‘ series. Now led by only one Wachowski sibling, Lana, the fourth Matrix film, currently untitled, but referred to as “Matrix 4” for now, has now been dated by the studio. Warner Bros. will release “Matrix 4” on May 21, 2021, right in the heart of the summer tentpole season. Ironically, “Matrix 4” will go up against Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4,” also starring Keanu Reeves, so one has to wonder if someone will eventually move off this date. Surely Reeves doesn’t want to promote both at the same time.
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Toby Onwumere (The Wachowski’s “Sense8“) recently joined the cast, and fourth edition of “The Matrix” series will also include Reeves (Neo), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), and Jada Pinkett Smith (Niobe) as well as newcomers Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Watchmen,” who is rumored to be playing young Morpheus. “Matrix 4” is also taking the release date of the “Akira” movie that WB has struggled to make (Taika Waititi was going to direct, but it’s unclear what state It’s in now, as he’s making another ‘Thor‘ movie instead). “Akira” has no release date now, is off the schedule, and one won’t be surprised if Waititi announces he’s no longer involved.
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Additionally, the long-gestating “Flash,” starring Ezra Miller, looks like it finally has its first inclination towards legitimacy and now has July 1, 2022 release date. Long, long-delayed, with several filmmakers attached to make various different versions of the character, Flash was first introduced in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” The project then took on a musical chairs-like shuffle of directors, and all mooted release ideas were delayed.
This latest edition of the franchise, directed by “It” filmmaker Andy Muschietti, has the second official release date of any “Flash” film (they tried in 2018 and didn’t come close). All other previous versions had vague windows at best. So, a firm date is a sign that this version, something like the fourth or fifth version of the ‘Flash’ movie WB has tried to mount, will stick and Miller—who has taken to trying out writing the screenplay himself—is on board with the idea. “Flash” is the second DC film currently holding a 2022 release date. “Aquaman 2” is currently dated for December 22, 2022. Currently, the closest movie competition is an untitled Pixar movie on Jun 17 and an untitled Marvel movie a few weeks later on July 29, 2022.
In other Warner Bros. release date news, the studio has moved its “Mortal Kombat” reboot up six weeks to Jan. 15, 2021, and has dated an untitled project about political activist Fred Hampton for Aug. 21, 2020.