Warner Bros. are gearing up to enter the Matrix once more. The latest news indicates that this is going to be the first movie to not have a Wachowski at the helm. Drew Goddard, who was the screenwriter for The Martian, is going to write the script, with Lana Wachowski set to be the executive producer.
What's Next in the Matrix Series?
So, what can fans hope for regarding the new Matrix movie? Jesse Ehrman, who is the president of production for Warner Bros. Motion Pictures has said that the plot is going to delve deeper into the Matrix. Screenwriters need to make sure that they stick with the core narrative as they have done with the previous films, to maintain their fandom.
It’s possible to take inspiration from other successful franchises here, and how they've progressed, to get an idea of the direction screenwriters might take. Take the Star Trek franchise, for example. Since its inception in 1966, it's evolved significantly, exploring character arcs in depth with the Wrath of Khan.
Games can also serve as inspiration, with Alien spanning different genres entirely, showing the growth and potential of the original idea. Another game example would be Age of the Gods. The original Age of the Gods slot now has over 30 alternative games available, but none of them stray far from the central theme. Gods of Storms, King of Olympus and Fate Sisters all reflect the key elements of the original story, but with new and exciting concepts that help to expand upon the original release.
In the games, you also have characters such as Prometheus who defied Zeus in an attempt to shape the future of humanity. The Matrix already follows a similar theme here, with the protagonists trying to break free from the simulation in an attempt to overcome the higher powers that govern their world.
It may be that the Matrix follows a similar path, in an attempt to expand upon the already popular franchise. Challenging the concepts of the Matrix and our growing relationship with AI could also be an interesting angle for the new movie to take, as lines become blurred and higher powers begin to dominate. This could be explored in the form of an AI consciousness born of the Matrix, but that has transcended.
Ideas like this show that it is possible to grow the franchise without losing sight of the original idea, exploring new and interesting stories without straying too far away from what made the original movie so special. There have even been fan-made trailers released, which again, help to show what potential ideas could be explored.
The Matrix 4 was the First to be Directed by Lana Wachowski
The Matrix is known as being one of the most influential movies of our time. With numerous sequels, the fourth instalment arrived 18 years later. It was also the first movie to be directed by Lana alone. It was a box office disappointment and grossed $159 million with a $190 million budget. With that being said, fans have high hopes for the new movie. With the release of the last Matrix movie, fans weren’t too happy with the fact that classic characters weren’t brought back. Even though the real Morpheus is dead in the fourth instalment, a digital program based on him is used, with actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stepping up to the role. You also have Jonathan Groff, who replaced Hugo Weaving. Although the actors have busy schedules it’ll be interesting to see if they are going to reprise their roles in some form in The Matrix 5, something that is bound to go down well with fans.
