To the dismay of many, it appears Hugo Weaving will unfortunately not be reprising his role as the infamous Agent Smith in the upcoming Matrix 4 movie.
In a new interview with Time Out, Hugo explained he was approached to reprise his iconic role, but due to a mix match of scheduling negotiations, he missed the boat:
It’s unfortunate but actually, I had this offer [for The Visit] and then the offer came from The Matrix, so I knew it was happening but I didn’t have dates. I thought [I] could do both and it took eight weeks to work out that the dates would work — I held off on accepting [a role in The Visit during that time]. I was in touch with [director] Lana Wachowski, but in the end, she decided that the dates weren’t going to work. So we’d sorted the dates and then she sort of changed her mind. They’re pushing on ahead without me.
This is extremely unfortunate news as Agent Smith (specifically Hugo's portrayal of the character) was so iconic, he was the Yang to Keanu Reeves' Neo Yin. Imagining a Matrix movie without Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith sours the appeal to a degree.
This doesn't necessarily mean the Agent Smith character will be excluded from Matrix 4, it just means Hugo Weaving won't be the actor playing the role.
Are you disappointed by Hugo's lack of involvement? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think!