It’s been eighteen years since Lana & Lilly Wachowski‘s last installment in “The Matrix” series premiered. And for those of you who remember, “The Matrix Revolutions” was a critical dud despite grossing over $400 million worldwide. However, have mixed reviews ever stopped Hollywood filmmakers from returning to tired franchises well after their cultural relevance expires? Of course not.
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So, flash-forward to 2021, and Lana Wachowski has brought Neo, Trinity, and others back from the dead: “The Matrix: Resurrections” is set to hit theaters and HBO Max this December. Details remain scarce on plot details for the new film, but a new internet marketing campaign reminiscent of what Warner Bros. did for the franchise twenty years ago has the hype machine starting to hum and turn. From the looks of things, reality is a choice no matter what pill one chooses, and the stakes have never been higher.
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return to the series to reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity. Also returning for the new film is Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe, Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian, and Daniel Bernhardt as Agent Johnson.
The newcomers to ‘Resurrections’ are arguably more hype-worthy than the return of Reeves as Neo. Yahya Abdul Maheen II, fresh off his leading role in “Candyman,” leads the new cast alongside Jessica Henwick (“Love And Monsters“), Jonathan Groff (“Mindhunter“), Neil Patrick Harris (“Gone Girl”), and Christina Ricci (“Z: The Beginning Of Everything“). Other cast members include Priyanka Chopra Jones (“The White Tiger“), Eréndira Ibarra (“Sense8“), Max Riemelt (also “Sense8”), and Brian J. Smith (again, “Sense8”).
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Lana Wachowski directs “The Matrix: Resurrection” solo without Lilly beside her. It’s her first directorial effort since 2015’s “Jupiter Ascending.” Lana also co-writes the screenplay with novelists Aleksander Hemon and David Mitchell. John Toll, who’s done the cinematography on the Wachowkis’ last three projects, is the film’s director of photography.
What revelations does Lana Wachowski have in store for audiences with “The Matrix Resurrections?” Find out on December 22, when the film hits theaters and streams exclusively on HBO Max. Check out the new trailer below.