‘The Matrix’ reboots with Drew Goddard as writer-director

Almost 25 years to the day “The Matrix” debuted in theaters, Warner Bros. has announced another installment in the blockbuster franchise is coming soon.

On Wednesday, the studio revealed that Oscar-nominated “The Martian” screenwriter Drew Goddard will write and direct a fifth film in “The Matrix” series. The untitled feature is the first without original directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski involved in a major capacity.

“Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” said Warner Bros. Motion Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman in a statement. “The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making his new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”

Added Goddard, “It is not hyperbole to say ‘The Matrix’ films changed both cinema and my life. Lana and Lilly’s exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world.”

Released on March 31, 1999, “The Matrix” broke ground with its special effects and all but predicted the appeal and danger of an increasingly online world. The film starred Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne, won four Oscars, and spawned three sequels, the last of which debuted in 2021. (That film, which poked at the idea of rebooting “The Matrix” for modern audiences, was a box office failure compared with its predecessors but also arrived on what was then called HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously.) Reeves and Moss appeared in all four “The Matrix” films so far. Their involvement in this newly announced feature is unknown. 

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