LOST Writer Addresses Potential for Franchise Revival

Considering the divided reactions to the ending of Lost, which remains one of the biggest network series of all time, many fans would likely be eager to see what their favorite characters are up to as well as another crack taken at the show’s resolution. But will it happen? During an interview with Variety, filmmaker Drew Goddard (The Martian, Cloverfield, Bad Times at the El Royale) revealed that while there is no Lost revival currently in the works, “never say never.” Goddard served as a writer, supervising producer, and co-executive producer on Lost between 2005-2008, and he told the outlet, “I loved working on that show so much, and I loved what we did.”

In 2023, it was revealed that the Lost set was a toxic experience for many people involved in front of and behind the camera. According to Maureen Ryan’s book Burn It Down (Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood), a deep-dive exposé into the making of Lost, a number of interviews outlined how actors of color and female cast and crew members felt that showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse held damaging biases and fostered a hostile work environment. The news was the latest in a long list of scandals Lost had off-screen.

Goddard’s TV credits also include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Alias, and more. When asked if any of those projects could look forward to potential reboots, Goddard added: “This question comes up on various shows that I’ve done, and I always feel strongly that I don’t want to just do karaoke of the show I used to do. I’d only be interested if we felt like we could do something special and new within the construct of the show. And then some of it just comes down to time and appetite. So there’s no plan for it today. But never say never.”

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The filmmaker is currently busy on several upcoming projects, such as the newly announced Holes series reboot and, most notably, The Matrix 5, where Goddard is set to write, direct, and produce. It was announced in April 2024 that he reportedly pitched a sequel idea that Warner Bros. Discovery embraced. The original film franchise creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski would not be directly involved, though Lana would apparently take on some duties as an executive producer. There have not been any further updates or plot details revealed since the initial announcement.

Will Smith sparked rumors this week that he might be involved in The Matrix 5, though sources quickly debunked it. At this time, it is unclear what Smith could be teasing, but the rapper/actor posted a video on Monday with a caption that read: “In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time. But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo? Wake up, Will… The Matrix has you.”

Lost is available to stream on Netflix and Disney+.