We don’t know a whole lot about The Matrix 4, and new comments from one of the writers aren’t illuminating. David Mitchell believes the science fiction movie is more its own thing and less a follow-up to the previous films.
“I saw the film in Berlin in September. It’s really good,” Mitchell told To Vima magazine, as translated via Reddit. “I cannot tell you what this film is about, but I could explain what it is not. It’s certainly not yet one more sequel, but something autonomous that contains, however, the three Matrix that preceded in a really ingenious way.” He goes on to say Resurrections is “a very beautiful and weird creation” that “subverts the rules of blockbusters”.
So far, this all sounds like the first The Matrix, an action movie that has its own vibe, and whose themes and ideas will be discussed and pored over for years. The phrasing Mitchell employs for how the thriller movie carries over from the trilogy is curious too, using the word “contains”.
That might be a faux pas of the translation, but the trailer does make it seem like whatever universe Neo’s in this time around, 1999’s The Matrix exists as a movie. You can see it projected in certain scenes of all the pill-popping and partying.
A popular theory is that in The Matrix 4, the previous trilogy is somehow incorporated as in-universe fiction, with the suggestion that Keanu Reeves is now more or less playing himself, the star of these films. When Jonathan Groff’s mysterious, black-suited character says, “To be going back to where it all started, back to The Matrix”, he’s talking about Reeves’s character going back to the franchise.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – or give you a headache trying to explain layers of meta-fiction. Only time will tell what Mitchell’s referring to. The Matrix 4 is directed by Lana Wachowski, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mitchell, and Aleksandar Hemon. Reeves leads the cast, with Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in supporting roles.
The Matrix 4 comes to theatres on December 22, 2021. Check out the best sci-fi series for more heightened fiction.