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WIRE Buzz: Lilly Wachowski blesses possible new Matrix movie, Netflix axes The OA, more
Start your week off on the right foot with another edition of WIRE Buzz! Today we've got updates on a possible new Matrix film over at Warner Bros.; Truth Seekers from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; and the fate of a popular sci-fi series on Netflix. Don't worry, Stranger Things is still safe.
As of late, rumors and reports have been swirling around the internet that Warner Bros. may be developing more Matrix movies. Prior to his resignation in March, Warner CEO Kevin Tsujihara plainly stated that the studio was very much interested in making more films in the groundbreaking sci-fi franchise launched by the Wachowski siblings in 1999. That being said, it doesn't look like Lana and Lilly may be involved with any of the sequels after all, but that doesn't mean they don't approve of them.
Chatting with /Film at the 2019 TCA summer tour, Lilly revealed that she's "a little busy at the moment" before adding, “I like it when stories go out into the world and then come back to you in different ways. I mean, that’s what storytelling is all about. I’m part of a bigger thing. I don’t have any ownership over stuff like that, so whatever story anybody wants to tell, I can’t wait to hear. I hope it’s better than the original."
Lilly is currently preparing for the release of Work in Progress on Showtime. The upcoming comedy series follows the romance between a lesbian woman and a transgender man.
Meanwhile, in honor of its 20th birthday this year, the first Matrix film will return to theaters for a limited engagement in AMC theaters all across the U.S., Dolby announced in conjunction with WB today.
“Bringing The Matrix to life in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos pays homage to the masterpiece that the Wachowskis created 20 years ago,” said Doug Darrow, senior vice president, Cinema Business Group, Dolby Laboratories. “Movie lovers will be able to see and experience unforgettable sequences like bullets flying in slow motion with the utmost detail — transforming one of the most iconic sci-fi films of this generation."
You can pick up tickets for the event (it runs for one week starting Aug. 30) here.
After just two seasons, The OA has received the ax from Netflix, writes Variety. Created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the well-received mystery series — which also starred Marling in the main role — explored lofty sci-fi ideas of alternate realities and dimensions.
“We are incredibly proud of the 16 mesmerizing chapters of The OA, and are grateful to Brit and Zal for sharing their audacious vision and for realizing it through their incredible artistry,” said Netflix's VP of original content, Cindy Holland, in a statement, per Variety. “We look forward to working with them again in the future, in this and perhaps many other dimensions.”
Season 2 of The OA debuted on Netflix in late March. As of today, the second (and now final) season holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 15 points higher than the first season.
Truth Seekers, a horror-comedy mashup series about a pair of paranormal investigators played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (the duo best known for Shaun of the Dead and The World's End), has found a home at Amazon, Variety has confirmed.
Traveling across the U.K., Gus (Frost) and his partner (no one has been announced for this role just yet) monitor haunted churches, underground bunkers, and abandoned hospitals in the hopes of capturing some otherworldly activity. Their fun, Ghostbusters-type adventures take a turn for the worse, however, when the duo uncover a conspiracy that may just lead to the end of humanity as we know it. Pegg plays Dave, although not much is known about the mysterious character at this time.
Nevertheless, the premise sounds like the perfect vehicle for the two British comedy stars who played a similar team in 2011's Paul, which centered on a pair of UFO-hunting conspiracy theorists who meet up with an actual alien, voiced by Seth Rogen.
A premiere date for Truth Seekers has yet to be announced.
