The Matrix 5 has just been announced. And the fans are… divided, at least according to social media.
The original trilogy, 1999’s The Matrix, 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, were the work of the Wachowskis who both wrote and directed the movies. The most recent sequel, 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections, was directed only by Lana Wachowski.
The Matrix 5 gets a new director (and maybe writer?)
However, The Matrix 5 will not involved the Wachowskis in either directing or writing, but will serve as executive producers. That honor goes to Drew Goddard who was announced as the new director; other reports also say he’s writing the film.
After the announcement, the fans took to the internet to express their opinions. Some are excited for the sequel. Some have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. And others… well, they’re not quite enthused.
Cautiously optimistic and deeply conflicted
According to one X (formerly Twitter user), “If audiences wanted another Matrix movie, they would have shown up to Matrix Resurrections. They barely showed up, relatively speaking, to Matrix revolutions 20.5 years ago. Not every once-successful films(s) is an endless exploitable IP.”
Another expressed their dislike that the Wachowskis aren’t involved in the creative process and posted, “Making a Matrix 5, especially one without either of the Wachowskis writing/directing, goes against the entire message of Resurrections.”
Another fan said they feel “deeply conflicted” but had nothing against Goddard. However, he pointed out that “The Matrix is the Wachowskis; the Wachowskis *are The Matrix.”
Still another said they’re “cautiously optimistic” about the sequel. They also agree with other users who either have nothing against Goddard or actually like him, but are concerned about the Wachowskis’ lack of involvement on the creative side.
I agree with most of the assessments. The Matrix — especially the first film — was more than just a movie that enjoyed enormous critical and commercial success. Anyone who ever saw it in theaters and loved it knew that it was going to be a seminal work. It was 1999, the end of the first millennium; there was a lot of things going on and The Matrix was quite possibly the one movie that was both philosophical and still had a mass appeal.
The movie was also one of the first (at least in the memory of those who watched it) Hollywood films to incorporate styles from anime, martial arts as well as wire-fu. Who could ever forget Keanu Reeves’ dodging bullets in slow motion while bending over backwards? The film is widely and rightly regarded as one of the best sci-fi films ever.
And speaking of Keanu Reeves: the movie cemented his movie star status. He was the millennials’ Neo before he became this generation’s John Wick.
The Matrix(-ices) 101
However, the sequels could never match the success of the first one. The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were released four years after the original. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Matrix scored 83% among critics and 85% among audiences. Compared to that, Reloaded got 74% critics’ score and 72% audience score. Revolutions scored even lower at 34% from the critics and 60% from the audience.
While Reloaded grossed higher at $741.8 million worldwide versus The Matrix’s $467.6 million globally, I think it had more to do with the viewing public missing the original and hoped that the sequel would at least equal the first. Audiences didn’t forget the disappointment that Reloaded caused that Revolutions only made $427.3 million worldwide.
The most recent installment, Resurrections is the lowest rated movie in the franchise at 63% for both critics and audience scores. It was also the lowest grossing at $157.4 million globally.
While I agree that the Wachowskis are The Matrix and The Matrix are The Wachowskis, they don’t have a good track record when it comes to writing and directing sequels. Maybe a different writer and director could bring in fresh ideas.
Goddard hasn’t written or directed a sequel, but he has written complicated storylines like the TV series Lost. He also wrote the 2011 critically acclaimed horror movie The Cabin in the Woods. He has also adapted thrillers such as 2013’s World War Z and 2015’s The Martian.
His credentials tell me two things: he can write a complex storyline like The Matrix’s and he can take an original work and make it translate it well on screen.
And as a bonus? His experience in the writing rooms of the biggest TV shows in the early aughts (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Alias) also means that he can resurrect (pun not intended) the vibes of the trilogy — or at least the first movie.
I hope Neo and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) come back. Even for just a little while.
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