Matrix 4 Coming Soon

[thecolorsblend]

https://deadline.com/2019/08/the-matrix-new-movie-keanu-reeves-lana-wachowski-writing-directing-1202674278

So this is a thing that happened. A new Matrix film. Official announcement and all.

A few months ago, it came out that the Wachowskis were closing down their production studio because of a lack of projects to work on. Might this somehow be related to that? Who can say?

Either way, I've flip-flopped a lot on the Matrix trilogy over the years. I think I'll always like the first one. Those sequels though...

[The Dark Knight]

I'm seeing the original Matrix in cinemas soon for the 20th anniversary. Since I've been in that mood again I recently rewatched the sequels. If the overlong Zion scenes were trimmed down, I'd actually put Reloaded on near equal footing with the original. It has enjoyable action and interesting ideas, building upon what preceded it. The new characters were great.

Revolutions was essentially an add on just to finish the story, and it gets the most hate. But it also built upon Reloaded and introduced new concepts. The blind messiah, the train station, powers outside the Matrix and the non traditional ending. For whatever reason these films aren't to everyone's tastes, but I think the sequels hold up really well considering the rubbish put out today. I'm happy to fight their corner.

I'm so there for Matrix 4, and this news has come at exactly the right time for me. Reeves, Moss and other trilogy actors are coming back. There was talk of a Morpheus prequel, but this is a dream come true for the true believers.

[thecolorsblend]

It does raise questions of exactly how the story can continue. The Matrix itself is still needed. It's doubtful that the real world can support the entire population of the Matrix so most people will have to stay plugged in.

So what is the government inside the Matrix? What is the government outside it? How is society to be structured? What treaties and agreements will exist to maintain friendly relations between man and machine?

Is democracy even possible when humans are effectively living in a diaspora of willing enslavement?

No shortage of story threads for a new film. But it seems like the majority of the main story has been well and truly told. So I'm not sure what's left.

Further, I assume that more sequels will be coming since we obviously have to keep the gravy train going here. Idk, this could turn out well and it could turn out to be a disaster. I don't see "average" anywhere on the menu though.

[The Dark Knight]

I'm going out on a limb and guessing the title will be The Matrix Resurrection.

I think Neo and Trinity are dead physically, but their residual self-image will be reinserted into the Matrix by the Machines. The Machines did keep Neo's body, and also at the end of Revolutions the Oracle tells Sati she believes they'll see Neo again "someday".

It would make sense for Neo's resurrection to happen after a sustained period of time (about 17 years), and it would also align with the Oracle's statement of "someday". That would allow for a period of peace to have existed inside Zion, and it would also allow the truce to be gradually worn thin if that's the route the writers want to take.

I'm thinking perhaps the truce is maintained, with the humans and Machines working together ala Revolutions to combat an emerging common foe, ala Smith. That could possibly explain why Neo is needed again, and why his RSI is re-uploaded.

As for Trinity, it's logical to assume her body was also recovered after the crash. Or upon Neo's consciousness being reinserted, he asks the Machines – who he is on good terms with, for a favor. Something along those lines would be fine with me. Not too much of a stretch.

Check out the code of Seraph when Neo enters the teahouse in Reloaded. It's golden, because he's from the Source. The golden glow is the same color as the Machine City (01) in Revolutions, as Neo sees it. It's my belief Seraph was a previous version of the One, as tells Smith "I have beaten you before".

The Oracle being a program seems obvious now, but at the time it was somewhat revelatory, with her being another system of control. I could possibly foresee a twist that suggests The Oracle, Seraph and these characters were once human beings, with their shell/code only remaining. With Neo and Trinity now taking that form alongside them as pure RSIs.

Which makes me wonder about the power level of a re-inserted Neo. Does he regain what he once had, or is he merely well skilled, ala someone like Seraph? Is there another One out there in his place? The Machines are willing to tolerate people waking up, but at what point does that become too many? That could be another juicy plot to follow. I never considered the Matrix Online canon, so that can safely be ignored now.

Yes, the original is the best, but I restate my belief the sequels are underrated. I used to apologise for them, but not anymore. The mix of philosophy, social commentary, special effects and action is right up my alley. I'm hoping this means videogames and the whole shebang relaunch the brand. I have good memories of that era, and you have no idea how much I'd wanted this day to come. But I never realistically saw it happening.

I'm much more of a Matrix fan than a Star Wars fan now, especially after the Disney debacle. I just love how 1999 was also the year of The Phantom Menace and The Matrix. I know which film I prefer. It will come down to the script, but the necessary ingredients are being put in place.

I'll be following this project with great interest.

[thecolorsblend]

I'm wondering if the human government and whoever represents the machines won't be trying like hell to maintain the truce while hardliners on both sides (rogue agents inside the Matrix for the machines and military types like Lock for the humans) try restarting the war.

I can imagine that Exile programs like The Merovingian and others would love to see the war start again. If a new war breaks out, the machines and the humans won't be focused on the Exiles anymore.

There's a ton of world-building that the Wachowskis hinted at but never really developed all that much. The Matrix 1.0 (utopia) and Matrix 2.0 (the nightmare version) were both hinted at by The Architect but little is known about them. In fact, the amount of backstory that hasn't been fully revealed could probably fill up an entire movie all by itself.

I see a lot of story possibilities here. That's what I'm trying to say.

[The Dark Knight]

The Matrix Online had Morpheus raging against the Machines for not giving Neo's body back. Not a bad plotline, even if it's small scale. With about 17 years since Revolutions I think that idea has been and gone. It would've worked in a 2004/2005 era Matrix 4, but not now. Passing references would be fine to get viewers up to speed in any change in circumstances. But the current day is more important.

Spider-Man 3 gets trashed, and some people find it cool to trash that film, but I dig that film. It actually has an overabundance of ideas. Same goes for the Matrix sequels. When they are embraced instead of predicably shunned, they enrich the whole experience. 

The Architect's TV screens are visible in the original film. Zion is no longer just a word (it's a striking contrast to the digital world). And Smith becomes a better villain in terms of irony and character development. He called humans a stinking overpopulated virus, and that's what he becomes. To the point he takes the form of a real world human just to get at Neo...which is a terrifyingly brilliant concept.

Does Smith have a role in Matrix 4? Hard to say. But I'm open to it. Weaving is too good in that role. I'm hoping for Morpheus, Seraph and a bunch of other returning characters. But the fact Reeves is coming back is enough to excite people. He is a great example of a character possessing great strength but always being vulnerable as a MAN. Which is something the Superman franchise should embrace more often.

Neo always ends a film in jeopardy and with an alternated state of consciousness. In the first movie he's shot, killed and resurrected. The sequel, he passes out and goes into a coma. And the third film, blinded, his lover killed and himself killed.

What I dig more than coal is the fact an original director is coming back, along with original cast members. DisneyWars had original cast members but without the original creator's pure input. Nobody can seriously claim the Disney trilogy is the 100% intended continuation of Lucas, because it's not. Things would have played out very differently.

The same won't be said of The Matrix 4, and that should be welcomed. Reeves was adamant he was only coming back to the franchise if the Wachowskis were running the show. That's the same mindset Michael Keaton had with Tim Burton, or Christian Bale with Christopher Nolan. These are the types of partnerships that mean something.

[The Dark Knight]

There's a rumor the 1999-2003 Matrix trilogy exists in the world of The Matrix 4 either as a film series or a videogame. When I first heard that it took me a little while to comprehend the concept, but after consideration I love it. It's the type of out of the box thinking that appeals to me and I hope it's true. It contradicts nothing and works as yet another system of control. When a Matrix reboots the past cycles just become stories that nobody knows about. But the Machines would have some record of what transpired, like old data logs on servers. We already saw Neo's life was recorded and played on the Architect's TV screens during Reloaded. If there are video games or movies of the original trilogy in the new cycle, it could be a form of 'misdirection to blue pills who think the Matrix could in fact be real. That it's all just fiction. It's also a way to have the 'Matrix within a Matrix' concept without twisting established lore.

Does Smith have a role in Matrix 4? Hard to say. But I'm open to it. Weaving is too good in that role.

Weaving said he's not in the film. Ultimately, I think this will work out for the best. Weaving is amazing but defeating Smith was the whole point of the original trilogy. For all I know his role could've been a cameo, but in any case we don't need another Rise of Skywalker situation on our hands. One threat passes and another emerges in its place.

https://www.timeout.com/london/news/hugo-weaving-explains-why-he-wasnt-in-avengers-endgame-and-wont-be-appearing-in-the-new-matrix-012020

Morpheus is going to be played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and not Fishburne. I now have a feeling some aspects of The Matrix Online will be retained, possibly explaining why Morpheus is younger - he has already been killed. I think part of the plot could be about Neo and Trinity being 'parents' to young Morpheus, inverting the first film where Morpheus was Neo's spiritual guide. If all three main characters are reinserted into the Matrix after their deaths, something with Morpheus' procedure may have differed, leading to this outcome with his RSI, and possibly making him a blank canvass. I feel like these characters won't be disrespected like Luke, Han and Leia. And I am confident the story will be justified and interesting.

Niobe is a lock. Lambert Wilson said The Merovingian is in the script and he's in discussions to return, which tell me we're looking at a proper continuation here. With any luck Persephone and a couple more return as well. The sequels introduced a ton of new characters, so doing the same here isn't a problem. In fact, I'd hold The Matrix sequels up as the prime example of how to grow a film universe while retaining original cast members. It felt so seamless. All in all, I'm excited to see where all this goes. Another rumor says it's the beginning of a new trilogy.

Back to the original trilogy - Reloaded is my favorite in the series. We see Neo at the peak of his powers and the action is better. IMO most people didn't like the sequels because they dabbled more deeply into the philosophical aspects that were only touched upon in the original. People responded favorably to surface level philosophy, but weren't ready for REAL philosophy. The Architect conversation is meant to be a weakness, but I see it as the film's best scene. Neo was told he was special for so long, but what the Architect told him instantly reduced that. Yes, he had powers, but they weren't meant to be forever. They had an end point, and others had already walked in his shoes. He realizes the Oracle didn't tell him about any of this and he was moments away from reloading the whole thing. Just as Morpheus comes to see the Oracle is just a program he has been blindly following. Reloaded's end scenes change the context of things for the characters in a big way.

I really dig the parallels Reloaded makes too:

M1 - Neo enters to save Morpheus in the finale, M2 – Trinity enters to save Neo in the finale
M1 - Trinity resurrects a dead Neo, - M2 – Neo resurrects a dead Trinity
M1 - Trinity has a secret (the person she loves will be the one), M2- Neo has a secret (Trinity will die)
M1 - In the Matrix, Neo meets Trinity at a nightclub as a stranger, M2 – In Zion, Neo meets Trinity at a rave as a lover
M1 - "If the war ended tomorrow, Zion's where the party would be", - M2 – rave scene
M1 - Neo ends film stopping bullets, M2 – Neo ends films stopping Sentinels
M1 - Smith calls humanity a stinking, overpopulated virus, M2 - that's what he becomes
M1 - Retro TV screens observing Neo's interrogation, M2 - the TV room revealed as the Architect's

Filming for M4 starts soon - hopefully more details trickle out as the weeks progress.

[thecolorsblend]

Filming has started. Here's a spy photo. Unless Reeves walking out of a restaurant or whatever is considered a spoiler, this is basically a spoiler-free thing. There's some conjecture as to the story elements of the film but nothing concrete.

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/02/matrix-4-filming-set-photos-keanu-reeves-1202209081/amp/

[thecolorsblend]

Something else. I hope this time that The Matrix gets more of an expanded universe than it got lost time. There were some video games, a few comics and the Animatrix thing. But otherwise, that's about it. This time there's a chance to create more of a multimedia project out of the Matrix universe, past, present and future. Novels, more comics, maybe a short run Netflix series or what have you.

Oddly enough, one of the issues I find myself most fixated upon is bringing Don Davis back to do the score. If this movie series has a John Williams, it's Davis.

[The Dark Knight]

Something else. I hope this time that The Matrix gets more of an expanded universe than it got lost time. There were some video games, a few comics and the Animatrix thing. But otherwise, that's about it. This time there's a chance to create more of a multimedia project out of the Matrix universe, past, present and future. Novels, more comics, maybe a short run Netflix series or what have you.

Oddly enough, one of the issues I find myself most fixated upon is bringing Don Davis back to do the score. If this movie series has a John Williams, it's Davis.

Matrix merchandise is really special because there's not much of it. So when something new is announced I get really excited. I have all the McFarlane toys from 2003 still in their boxes unopened. I recently bought a 1/43 scale Lincoln Continental die cast model car that appears in the films, and have kept it in the Matrix packaging too. I already have the Art of the Matrix hardcover and the new Matrix comics hardcover, along with the two PS2 games. I am optimistic more merchandise will be produced closer to the new film's release.

There's been a lot of developments with filming in recent weeks and I'm right on top of it. I'm discussing it elsewhere and having a ball doing so. Seems clear to me Neo doesn't know his past and will have to be reawakened. Each Matrix film includes a search for Neo and I don't see this being any different. The Merovingian has also now been officially confirmed, which is fantastic.

This is my most anticipated film of 2021.