This post has been updated following writer Zak Penn’s comments on Twitter.
With news breaking this week of a reboot of The Matrix, and varying opinions on what that could mean, Zak Penn has taken to Twitter to take issue with the use of the word ‘reboot’.
Here is his series of tweets:
All I can say at this point is no one could or should REBOOT the Matrix. People who know Animatrix and the comics understand.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 15, 2017
Can’t comment yet except to say that the words “reboot” and “remake” were from an article. Let’s stop responding to inaccurate news.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
If I were going to recast Keanu Reeves, I would cast Keanu Reeves.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
How about just re-release the matrix? Don’t reboot it, you can’t do better.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
Do I want to see more stories set in the universe of the matrix? Yes. Because it’s a brilliant idea that generates great stories.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
Look at what people are doing with Xmen universe. Between Logan and Legion and Deadpool, does anyone want them to stop? Not me.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
From this, we can infer that Penn is working on some kind of spin-off film that could become part of a Matrix cinematic universe. Can’t wait!
Our original story follows below.
Warner Bros. are in early talks to resurrect The Matrix franchise. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio has approached writer Zak Penn to start working up ideas.
Penn is the creator of TV sci-fi drama Alphas, and has also worked on The Avengers and X-Men films, so has all the credentials to do justice to a Matrix reboot.
Michael B. Jordan is rumoured for a starring role, but there is no word yet on whether any of the original cast would return. Keanu Reeves said recently that he would only consider coming back if the Wachowskis were on board – but there’s also no chatter about The Matrix’s sibling co-creators returning.
Reeves and Laurence Fishburne who appeared together in the original film and its two sequels, as Neo and Morpheus respectively, recently reunited in John Wick: Chapter 2.
It seems that there’s an appetite for both to work together again but whether they’d be tempted back to the world of The Matrix remains to be seen. Particularly since the Wachowskis are currently tied up with passion project Sense8 – the second season of which is due to air in May this year. So, even if the directing duo wanted to be involved, time and other commitments may prevent that.
The other thing, of course, is that any reboot would have to raise the bar. The Matrix, released in 1999, is known as one of the most original and groundbreaking science fiction films ever made. Its pioneering special effects – which include the ‘bullet time’ technique – spawned a host of copycats as well as two sequels: The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
There had been talk of adapting The Matrix into a TV series but that idea now seems to be off the table.
With the Matrix trilogy grossing huge amounts at the box office, another film in the franchise could well be a license to print money – if they get it right, of course.
We’ll update you when we know more!