When you look at the history of the “Matrix” franchise after the release of “The Matrix Revolutions” in 2003, there are several starts and stops where Warner Bros. was reportedly actively developing a new reboot/sequel of the franchise with an all-new cast and crew. Rumors pointed to veteran screenwriter Zak Penn working to bring the franchise back with more speculation hinting that Michael B. Jordan was in line to star. Ultimately, as we know now, that didn’t happen, and instead, we were graced by “The Matrix Resurrections,” which brought back the original stars and filmmaker Lana Wachowski. And no one seemed to mention those other attempts.
READ MORE: Lana Wachowski Shoots Down The Idea Of A New ‘Matrix’ Trilogy
But according to a new interview with Collider, ‘Matrix’ producer James McTeigue talked about WB’s attempts to bring the franchise back from the dead…with or without the Wachowskis. Why would a studio do that? Well, because WB absolutely loves making money and “The Matrix” is a franchise that would definitely make some money, no matter who is in front of and behind the camera.
“Look. I think when you’ve had a franchise with that much potential money-making capability, there’s always talk,” said McTeigue. “It’s in the same way that the Marvel universe repeats and turns in on itself, or you have Spider-Man, or you have Iron Man, or Thor. There’s always potential to update those movies just because of the possibility of making the money and telling new stories. I shouldn’t say it’s just a purely fiscal thought.”
He continued, “But yeah, look, there was versions out there, but they hadn’t landed on the right version. So when Lana eventually came back around and said, ‘Look. I’m interested in making another movie,’ of course, they went with the filmmaker who was the genesis of the ‘Matrix.’”
Judging by McTeigue’s words, it’s clear WB was going to make a ‘Matrix’ film with or without a Wachowski working on the film. And it would appear the studio was happy to hear Lana Wachowski wanted to return, which made the reboot/sequel come together at a faster pace. But now the question can’t be ignored—what happens next?
“The Matrix Resurrections” doesn’t necessarily shut the door on further sequels, even though Lana Wachowski clearly doesn’t want to make another. Will WB move ahead without a Wachowski for real this time? Will we get a whole new cast? Even though the box office for ‘Resurrections’ isn’t so hot right now, no studio would let something as popular as “The Matrix” sit on the shelf for too long. The deja-vu cat is out of the bag, and it would be silly to think WB is going to wait another 20 years to bring “The Matrix” back, right?