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The Matrix Resurrections: Plug back into the simulation with first trailer for fourth 'Matrix' movie
All those kung fu downloads are starting to come back to us. Nearly two decades after The Matrix Revolutions closed out the groundbreaking trilogy, the iconic franchise returns in the first action-packed trailer for the fourth movie (confirmed to be happening over two years ago), which is officially subtitled Resurrections.
The film series is in very good hands, as this installment was directed and co-written by Lana Wachowski, who previously helmed the first three movies alongside her sister, Lilly. And Lana's not the only familiar face back for another adventure inside the malevolent simulation powered by human batteries. Matrix alumni Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith are all reprising their roles of Neo, Trinity, and Niobe, respectively.
But the world is not as we left it. Neo has somehow reverted back to his ordinary life as Thomas Anderson and can't remember any of the epic adventures he went on in the last three films. He's brought back into the virtual fray by what looks to be a younger version of Morpheus (Candyman's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Let the theories commence!
Watch the trailer now:
The supporting cast includes: Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Eréndira Ibarra, Priyanka Chopra, Andrew Caldwell, Brian J. Smith, Ellen Hollman, and Christina Ricci.
To get fans pumped for the trailer release, Warner Bros. published a website that allows visitors to view certain teaser footage by choosing the red or blue pill. As you may recall, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) gave Neo two options during their first meeting back in 1999. Swallowing the blue pill meant Neo could go on living a life of blissful ignorance, while the red would show him "how deep the rabbit hole goes." The trailer above pays homage to that line with several nods to Alice in Wonderland, including the excellent use of Jefferson Airplane's psychedelic masterpiece, "White Rabbit."
"I have great hope that fans will appreciate all the work that Lana and everyone is putting into this movie," Patrick Harris teased last September. "I’m a big Lana Wachowski fan; I think she’s a great person; I think she has a great inclusive energy. And her style has shifted visually from what she had done, to what she is currently doing. It’s changed in an evolved way, and she’s such a bright light."
Production on the "fourthquel" kicked off in early 2020, but halted a little over a month later when the novel coronavirus birthed a pandemic. The shooting schedule, which also required some time in Germany, was extended before finishing up in late 2020. The wrap party was reportedly disguised as a regular shoot so as to circumvent COVID restrictions in Europe.
Wachowski co-wrote the project's screenplay alongside David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas) and Aleksandar Hemon (Sense8).
The Matrix Resurrections scheduled to premiere in theaters and on HBO Max Wednesday, Dec. 22.
