A new entry into The Matrix franchise is in development. As the trades reported on Wednesday, a fifth installment is in the works from writer/director Drew Goddard (Bad Times At The El Royale). He is also producing the film next to Sarah Esberg under their Goddard Textiles banner, with Lana Wachowski exec producing.
The pentalogical installment is being billed as “simply set in the “Matrix” universe, not a direct sequel” per reporting by The Wrap’s Drew Taylor. Casting details and further story info remain under wraps.
News comes just as the inaugural groundbreaking martial arts-imbued sci-fi actioner directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski celebrated its 25th anniversary. Propelling the franchise with two more installments for the studio in 2003, followed by 2021’s relaunch with The Matrix Resurrections, the four-part saga raked in nearly $1.8 billion for the studio.
The previous film was released simultaneously in theaters and for 30 days via the company’s in-house streaming platform, HBO Max (now branded as Max).
The trilogy continues to be a fun revisit for me, which is a little more than I can say for Resurrections. While I loved the vision and depth it aims for, it sorely lacks everything that made the action in the first three movies so memorable and thrilling. My hope is that Goddard can breathe life back into this aspect of The Matrix in parallel with the fifth film’s forthcoming evolution.
Read more at The Wrap.
Lead photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
