Matrix 4: Lana Wachowski, Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss On Board For Sequel

Get ready to plug back into The Matrix.

The franchise's co-creator Lana Wachowski will return to co-write and direct a fourth installment of the massively successful series, with stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprising their roles, according to Variety.

The news is certain to be greeted rapturously by sci-fi fans. 1999's The Matrix is widely considered to be among the finest films of its genre of all time, and its release was a seismic event in pop culture. While sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (both from 2003) were not quite so well-received, the original film — with its innovative blend of CGI and Hong Kong-style wire work, not to mention its popularization of the technique known as "bullet time" — has cast a towering shadow over popular cinema for the last two decades. Considering the recent, spectacular career resurgence of Reeves, the timing couldn't be better for a fourth Matrix flick — and it may very well be that Wachowski's involvement was the deciding factor which made the once slight possibility a reality.

Back in 2017, Reeves was asked about the notion of continuing The Matrix franchise during an interview with Yahoo! Movies. The star's remarks made it plain that he would only be interested if a specific set of conditions were met. "The Wachowskis would have to be involved," Reeves said. "They would have to write it and direct it. And then we'd see what the story is, but yeah, I don't know, that'd be weird, but why not? People die, stories don't. People in stories don't."

In May of this year, we reported that the rumor mill had gone into full swing based on remarks made by Chad Stahleski, who worked as Reeves' stunt double on all three Matrix films, and directed him in the wildly popular John Wick series. "I'm super happy that the Wachowskis are not just doing a Matrix, but they're expanding what we all loved," Stahleski said at that time. "And if it's anywhere near the level of what they've already done, it wouldn't take more than a call to go, 'Hey, we want you to be a stunt guy' and I would probably go and get hit by a car."

Stahleski's comments, however, were quickly reported to have been unfounded. Apparently, the stuntman-turned-director had been enthusing over a purely hypothetical scenario, and his remarks were said to have been taken out of context. In light of today's news, though, it's quite possible that Stahleski had simply jumped the gun, gushing to the press before anything had been set in stone.

It's worth mentioning that Variety's report makes exactly zero references to Lilly Wachowski, the other half of the sibling duo that created The Matrix. Neither of the Wachowskis has ever worked on a project of note without the other; it seems exceedingly likely that Lilly will be involved to some degree, but if we're going by the letter of today's report, The Matrix 4 will be purely Lana's show.

In a statement, Warner Brothers Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich expressed his excitement at the prospect of getting the Matrix band back together. "We could not be more excited to be re-entering The Matrix with Lana," Emmerich said. "Lana is a true visionary — a singular and original creative filmmaker — and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing and producing this new chapter in the Matrix universe."

Wachowski also issued a statement conveying her gratitude for the opportunity to return to the iconic universe she had a hand in creating. "Many of the ideas Lilly and I explored 20 years ago about our reality are even more relevant now," she said. "I'm very happy to have these characters back in my life, and grateful for another chance to work with my brilliant friends."

Of course, the announcement left a just couple of things up in the air. Since no plot details have been revealed, we don't yet know how Trinity, the hacker/freedom fighter portrayed by Moss in the first three films, will come into play in the fourth entry's story — considering that the character died during the events of The Matrix: Revolutions. 

Also, no mention was made of the third important figure in the original series', er, trinity of protagonists: Morpheus, the man who recruited Reeves' Neo in the fight against the machines and was instrumental in freeing humanity from their enslavement within the virtual reality known as the Matrix. Morpheus was portrayed in the first three films by the great Laurence Fishburne; while it's not at all clear whether Fishburne is even being courted for The Matrix 4, it would surprise us not at all to get an announcement concerning his involvement, or lack thereof, sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, though, we should all just get extremely psyched over the fact that a return to the world of The Matrix is officially in the offing. We'll keep both ears to the ground for any and all plot details, production developments, or casting news surrounding the project, and you can count on us to keep you informed.