Earlier this year, Warner Bros. took the red pill, plugged in, and decided to reboot “The Matrix” franchise. The move was hardly a surprise. The studio has been trying to figure out how to get that mega-property back out into the world for years, and had even considered a TV series at one point. As it stands, Zak Penn (“The Avengers,” “Ready Player One”) is writing the movie, but don’t call it a reboot. Hell, don’t even bank on this happening.
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The screenwriter hit Twitter a couple days ago — where he surely knew people would latch onto whatever he had to say about the project — to reveal that “The Matrix” was happening….but also not happening. He essentially said he was writing the new movie but also waved his hands in the air and said, “Nothing to see here!”
1) Re: the Matrix, yes I’m writing something. Not a reboot, not a continuation, watch Animatrix, read comics to see what wachowskis did
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) October 6, 2017
2) a script in development is not a movie. No casting, director, style can be discussed yet. Nothing to see here folks…yet.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) October 6, 2017
3) no need to put actors or anyone on the spot, because there’s nothing there yet. No reboot or reimagining, no recasting involved.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) October 6, 2017
4) and this is not the point in process that those decisions get made. So many hoops to jump through, the first one I gotta do myself.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) October 6, 2017
Essentially, we’re probably looking at a new movie set in the world of “The Matrix,” but perhaps not tied directly to the storyline of the original trilogy. That makes a lot of sense, but given the blockbuster world we live in, you know that the word “Neo” is going to pop up in that script. Hell, maybe even “Agent Smith.” There is nothing studios like more than to give into fan service. And as much as fans say they want something new, the familiar always plays well.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments section.