It’s a matter of days before the world gets a chance to see The Matrix Resurrections, but you might already by wondering whether or not there will be a sequel to the 4th entry in the series. We’ll obviously know a lot more after the release date when we have the full plot to mull over, but we’re going out strong with a theory that it’s highly likely that we’ll get a sequel and here’s why.
Firstly, a big part of the decision about a sequel will come down to the numbers, but looking ahead, we’re pretty sure that they’re going to stack up as things stand. There’s already a lot of buzz about the film and if Spider-Man No Way Home is anything to go by cinema goers will still hit the box off hard if there’s an exciting, era defining film to go and see and we’re hoping The Matrix 4 will be just that.
AdvertisementThe biggest hurdle is going to be the impact of the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which could result in reduced ticket sales, but we’re expecting the Warner Bros. powers that be to account for this when they balance the books. If it gets the kind of turnout that we’re expecting, it should be more than enough to persuade them to green light a possible 5th film in the series, and possibly even more, even with the downturn due to the pandemic that is about to kick in.
The reality is that The Matrix could easily become one of Warner Bros. biggest modern day franchises with the right story and you’ve kind of got to back Lana Wachowski to deliver just that. With a half decent showing at the big screen for Resurrections under tough circumstances, it should be enough to persuade them to kick start a new trilogy in the very least.
Do the Wachowski’s want to make a sequel to The Matrix Resurrections
AdvertisementFor a long time the Wachowski’s didn’t seem to be all that interested in the prospect of a sequel to The Matrix Revolutions, but then eighteen years later here we are. You can look at this cynically and say there wasn’t anything ground-breaking in between, but this standpoint doesn’t really fit well with their take on cinema, which is more that it’s an important art form.
A better way of looking at it is that it’s a return to some of their greatest conceptual and character creations and that it was sort of inevitable eventually with the open ending of Revolutions. In the first three films they crafted one of the most iconic universes in the history of cinema, so it makes absolute sense that they would revisit it at some point, which has resulted in The Matrix Resurrections.
AdvertisementWhile it’s only Lana Wachowski’s that worked on the sequel with Lily giving it the thumbs up from afar, the fact of the matter remains that the 4th film is about to arrive, so clearly the world of the Matrix is still very important to them. Precedent is pretty important and with the hurdle of a fourth film done and very nearly limelight dusted it seems less of a leap to expect yet another sequel to be on the cards for one or both of the Wachowski sisters.
However, a big part of this is directly linked to the story. If The Matrix Resurrections closes things off with more of a finite end than the previous outing then we might have another decade or so to see the characters again. However, if it seems to be a setup for more to come or closes out with unresolved story threads then we can expect a sequel to be in the offing straight away.
While you might think that Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves’ age might be a factor in how quickly we get another movie in the series, modern advancements in de-aging technology will allow for pretty much any eventuality. You’ve only got to look at Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man No Way Home to see that pretty much anything is possible in the modern era of film.
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How might a sequel fit into the story of The Matrix Resurrections
So if we assume that a sequel to The Matrix Resurrections is definitely a possibility, that leads on to how it could fit into the story development and what it might mean for the film and the future of the franchise. Looking ahead at the plot for the 4th film and considering the latest narrative in the trailer there are only really a couple of options for the new resurrected reality.
Either this is the same Neo and Trinity that we know and love from the previous stories or it’s a brand new iteration of them, which has been discussed at length in the previous encounters with the Architect. Either way, the other question for the upcoming film is whether or not the real world that we’ve seen in the previous films is real or just another part of the Matrix, designed to give humanity the sense of choice when really there is nothing but cages within cages.
We’re hoping that Resurrections sheds a little light on this and if it does it could well pave the way for a new war with the computer world. If that’s the case then further films in the series will open up expanded realities and provide even more layers of subterfuge for Neo, Trinity and Morpheus to uncover.
What we know for sure is that they’re all back in one way or another in the new film and there’s no sign of much freedom for the human race, so clearly the truce with the computers just meant an extended existence for the Matrix. If there’s no freedom then there’s still a lot to fight for and that’s how the upcoming release and it’s possible sequels could develop the story.
We’ll update you with more details on the film as they get confirmed. You can also check out our movie news section to keep tabs on the latest upcoming films, or visit the Warner Bros. website at www.warnerbros.com.
