The Matrix 5 is happening, despite the overwhelming backlash to the previous installment, The Matrix Resurrections. The Wachowskis have handed the reins of the franchise over to writer-director Drew Goddard (World War Z, Cloverfield, Project Hail Mary), who has been working on cracking a good story that fans will find both entertaining and worthy of The Matrix franchise’s legacy. However, Goddard also made it clear that there are some strict parameters for him in crafting the next Matrix movie, and that his creative process has no time limit.
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Today we have an update to share on how things are progressing with The Matrix 5. The good news is that it now looks like we have a potential release date window for The Matrix 5; the bad news is that it’s just a “potential” window for release, and even that is going to be a long wait.
Skydance Merger Sparks New Movement On Old Franchises (Like The Matrix)
Paramount and Warner Bros. have now merged into a single studio under the banner of David Ellison’s “Skydance Entertainment” imprint. In a new feature about how this changes the landscape of the entertainment industry, Deadline got updates on franchises that Warner Bros. and/or Paramount had in the developmental pipeline at the time of the merger.
One of the updates was about The Matrix 5, which is listed as having “Drew Goddard writing” and as “a 2029 release candidate.” That suggests Skydance is considering The Matrix 5 as part of its 2029 release slate. That doesn’t guarantee that the film will be released then, but it’s a reasonably believable goal for Goddard and Co. to meet.
Earlier this year, Goddard did give his own update on where things stand with The Matrix 5, while promoting the release of Project Hail Mary. “I’m in my writing cave writing,” he said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be in that writing cave, but whenever I come out, I’ll have news to share.”
Fans have been split over the idea of The Matrix series continuing without The Wachowskis. Some fans think Goddard represents the kind of strong creative talent that needs to take over the franchise (especially after seeing what Lana Wachowski did with Resurrections); others think The Matrix is so tied to the spirit of its creators that moving on without them is akin to cinematic blasphemy. We’ve seen it play out both ways in the industry; a franchise like Terminator floundered without James Cameron; Star Wars and Star Trek have grown well past the visions of their respective creators and still succeeded.
With The Matrix, the real test has been how to reconnect the movie with a new generation of filmgoers raised in a real-life matrix of online connectivity, social media second lives, and all that’s come with it. The original film was warning us away from that kind of societal path; now, AI and robots are becoming everyday parts of our lives. How do you continue the story in that kind of context?
The Matrix 5 is still in development – and apparently will be for a minute. Do you want to see The Matrix 5 get made? Let us know in the comments!
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Courtesy of Vertical Entertainment
