Denis Villeneuve, along with most people who got early access to watch the film, pleaded with folks to see “Dune” in theaters instead of HBO Max when it was released in October. It was an experience that required the biggest screen and the best sound system available. You could argue the same about “The Matrix Resurrections.” It’s a top-tier action film that people should see on the biggest screen available. But don’t expect Keanu Reeves to scold you for watching it on HBO Max from the comfort of your home.
Speaking to The Guardian, Keanu Reeves was in a playful mood when talking about the reality of his new ‘Matrix’ film getting a day-and-date release on both HBO Max and in theaters this week.
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In the interview, the writer explained how he was likely going to watch “The Matrix Resurrections” on HBO Max, likely from his laptop.
“Dude? Don’t stream that movie… Don’t you fucking stream that movie,” Reeves playfully replied. “What are you, crazy? You’re going to stream the new ‘Matrix’ on a laptop?”
Finally, Reeves let on that he was being silly and said, “I mean, sure, stream it if you have to.”
And honestly, with the omicron variant already wreaking havoc across the globe, leading to more shutdowns internationally, there are likely going to be quite a few people that will happily stay home and watch HBO Max, either on their TVs or some sort of mobile device. (The folks who watch on their phones are uncultured assholes though. We can all agree on that, right?…also kidding.) In fact, there are probably quite a few people that would have gladly watched ‘Resurrections’ in theaters but are now being a bit more cautious because of COVID.
This isn’t the news that theater owners were likely hoping to hear, however. After the record-breaking success of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” as that film has shown incredible box office numbers that we haven’t seen since 2019, exhibitors were hoping we were about to turn the corner with theatrical releases. However, the true test will be “The Matrix Resurrections,” as that film will give people the option of HBO Max and the theatrical experience. We’ll see if ‘Spider-Man’ opened up people’s eyes to the big-screen experience or if that was the anomaly many are thinking it might be.
We’ll find out when “The Matrix Resurrections” hits theaters and HBO Max on December 22.
