All it takes for career rehabilitation is one key role and nailing the part. After decades of work in light sitcoms (“How I Met Your Mother”), Neil Patrick Harris found such rejuvenation when he was cast as one of the antagonists in David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” playing the part of a manipulative, stalker-y ex-boyfriend. And now he’s found what we can presume is his next meaty role, joining the cast of Lana Wachowski’s “Matrix 4.”
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Harris joins Keanu Reeves, Carrie Anne Moss, and “Aquaman” and “The Get Down” star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who was announced as one of the movie’s leads last week. While it’s rumored that a young Morpheus (originally played by Lawrence Fishburne) could appear in the film, all of the plot is unknown and under wraps. Variety, who broke the Harris scoop, could not specify his role in the movie, but no one knows anything at this point beyond rumors.
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Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell co-wrote the script with Wachowski, and this new “Matrix” movie is expected to begin production at the beginning of 2020. The three previous “Matrix” films grossed $1.6 billion at the global box office, and Warner Bros. has spent the last few years trying to figure their way back into the franchise.
That meant convincing the Wachowskis (though others wrote scripts over the years), and apparently, there were some producing issue hurdles to overcome as well. Lily Wachowski, who co-wrote and co-directed the original trilogy has opted out of any participation, is not involved in any way, but has essentially given the project her blessing. Harris’ casting is a big boon for the actor, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the actor is coming off a fun turn in Netflix‘s “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” series.
READ MORE: ‘The Matrix 4’ Rumored To Include A “Young” Morpheus