Fans Just Got Two Huge Reveals About The Matrix 4

Fans of the Wachowski's sci-fi classic have known for a while that "The Matrix" franchise is getting a fourth installment. What's more, Lana Wachowski is set to direct, and Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and a slew of other stars of the original movies will make their glorious return in "The Matrix 4." The movie will also feature some brand new additions to the cast, from Jessica Henwick ("Iron Fist") and Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother") to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ("Aquaman," HBO's "Watchmen"). Oh, and if you're expecting new, cutting-edge camera tricks, such as the original movie's groundbreaking "bullet time," worry not — Henwick has already teased there will be plenty to be excited about on that front, as well.  

As cool as all this news is, fans might still find it hard to wrap their heads around it all. After all, it's been nearly two decades since the last dose of live-action "The Matrix" goodness, so it can be difficult to even imagine "The Matrix 4" without actually getting something concrete to go with. Fortunately, the day for more "The Matrix 4" information is finally here. Warner Bros. just dropped a heaping helping of "Matrix 4" data at CinemaCon, proving once and for all that the movie isn't just some plot by a bunch of machines that use your hopes and dreams as a battery. "The Matrix 4" is a very real thing, and what's more, we now know a whole lot more about it — thanks to the two huge, new reveals about "The Matrix 4."

With the exception of the 1999 original, the 2003 animated "The Animatrix," and a bunch of video games, many installments in "The Matrix" franchise have a penchant for alliterative titles. The second and third movies in the series, both of which premiered in 2003, were called "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions," and even the 2001 documentary about the making of the original movie is known as "The Matrix Revisited." 

Warner Bros. has now revealed (via Collider) that "The Matrix 4" will follow the tradition, and its official title is "The Matrix Resurrections." Speculations about this title have actually been going on for quite a while, to the point that Slashfilm jokingly predicted it way back in 2009. Nevertheless, there's no denying that it's an extremely apt title for the movie, considering that it's essentially resurrecting "The Matrix" franchise. There's also the fact that Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are set to return in "Resurrections," and their characters died pretty conclusively in "The Matrix Revolutions." This means that in one way or another, the characters will find their way back from beyond the veil, hopefully in a way that allows them to re-enter the fray while already wearing their iconic sunglasses. 

The title reveal, incidentally, also falls in line with the screening "leak" that dropped in June (via Inverse). The anonymous Twitter account behind the leak also stated that "The Matrix Resurrections" is thematically close to "The Matrix Reloaded." It remains to be seen whether this is the case.  

The title reveal of "The Matrix Resurrections" would be exciting news in its own right, but as The Hollywood Reporter notes, Warner Bros. also used their CinemaCon platform to screen the first trailer for the movie. As you'd expect, the trailer, which will presumably drop online before long, is full of massively exciting, mind-bending stuff. 

Reportedly, the trailer shows Reeves' character back in his everyman Thomas Anderson mode, suppressing his nagging feeling that the world's slightly off with a steady diet of blue pills and sessions with his therapist (Harris). There's a curious meeting with Moss' apparently equally amnesic character, and an encounter with Abdul-Mateen's suspiciously Morpheus-like character. Cue red pill, martial arts training, and amazing Neo powers — which, apparently, allow Keanu to control missiles with his mind this time. 

If much of this seems very reminiscent of the original "The Matrix," it's likely intentional, because apart from the usual "What is the Matrix?" shenanigans, there's clearly another layer of existential terror lying underneath the surface. The trailer shows but glimpses of what lies beneath, but they're already plenty exciting. There's a mirror shot that shows an older and younger Thomas-slash-Neo, and the fact that pretty much everyone in the world is terribly interested in their phones might mean something awful, as well. Count on Looper to bring you the trailer when it officially drops, and the fan theories can begin.

"The Matrix Resurrections" is currently slated to premiere on December 22.