When is The Matrix 4 release date? After nearly two decades, the war between humans and machines has returned to our screens. Neo and Trinity are back for the science fiction movie sequel, and they’ve brought a cohort of friends new and old along to help battle those pesky agents.
Prior to release, information was light on the ground about what director, producer, and co-writer Lana Wachowski’s plan was for the fourth Matrix movie, titled The Matrix Resurrections. The entire production had been largely shrouded in secrecy, save some casting announcements here and there. But now the movie has dropped, we know much more about the latest instalment in The Matrix franchise.
Rest assured, we’ve jacked in to find everything worth knowing about Neo’s upcoming return, what you can expect from the action movie, and when it’s likely we’ll get to own the movie after its theatrical run. Air out your old leather trench coat, put on some Rage Against The Machine and P.O.D. at high volume, and get ready, because we’re going in.
the Matrix 4 release date: When is The Matrix 4 coming out?
The fourth Matrix movie, titled The Matrix: Resurrections, released in theatres in the UK and the US on December 22, 2021. Like many movies between 2020 and 2021, we weren’t sure this was going to stick, but thankfully it did. The Matrix: Resurrections was slated for May 21, 2021, a date shared with John Wick: Chapter 4, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced a delay, to April 2022.
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Then, The Matrix 4 was actually moved forward several months, landing in December 2021. US fans also enjoyed a day-and-date release on HBO Max, per Warner Bros decision to have most of its cinematic calendar come out on the streaming service as well as theatres for the year. Sadly, the movie left this platform after 30 days though, so you can’t watch it on HBO Max as of January 22, 2022.
We are now told that the home release of The Matrix Resurrections is set for March 8, 2022. So get ready to add it to your collection, very soon.
The Matrix 4 cast: Who’s in The Matrix 4?
A small number of stars from the original The Matrix trilogy are reprising their roles here. Keanu Reeves is coming back to play Neo, and Carrie-Anne Moss is reprising her role as Trinity. Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith) is confirmed to return, The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), and Agent Johnson (Daniel Bernhardt), too. Unfortunately, Laurence Fishburne isn’t returning as Morpheus.
New additions are Christina Ricci, Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Toby Onwumere, Max Reimelt, Eréndira Ibarra, Priyanka Chopra, Ellen Hollman, Brian J. Smith, and Andrew Caldwell. Some, like Ricci, have appeared in previous Wachowski movies, like Speed Racer.
The confirmed The Matrix 4 cast is:
- Keanu Reeves as Neo
- Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity
- Jada-Pinkett Smith as Niobe
- Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian
- Daniel Bernhardt as Agent Johnson
- Christina Ricci
- Neil Patrick Harris
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Morpheus
- Jessica Henwick as Bugs
- Jonathan Groff
- Toby Onwumere
- Max Reimelt
- Eréndira Ibarra as Lexy
- Priyanka Chopra
- Ellen Hollman
- Brian J. Smith
- Andrew Caldwell
the Matrix 4 trailer: is there a trailer for The Matrix 4?
After months of anticipation, the full trailer was put up in September 2021, giving us our first look at our return to the war between man and machine. Keanu Reeves is there, Carrie-Anne Moss is there, and it looks like the reason we’re back is so Neo can finally save Trinity.
Watch The Matrix 4 trailer here:
Another trailer landed in December 2021, focusing on Déja Vu and glitches in The Matrix. It’s a little harder to discern, and features different scenes that bear resemblance to the original movie.
Previous to this, a teaser website was put up that contains 180,000 slightly different clips for The Matrix 4. Keanu Reeves’ Neo made his debut there, surrounded by a lot of strange imagery.
Before this, the only public acknowledgement Warner Bros had provided for The Matrix 4 is a logo on an advertisement for its theatrical slate coming to HBO Max day-and-date. Tight-lipped, is this one.
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During CinemaCon in August, Warner Bros released a teaser trailer to attendees. While no date was given for a public trailer release, we know that it is ready to go, and can drop at any time. Don’t worry, we have our eyes peeled for any updates.
In November 2021, Warner Bros released a poster for The Matrix 4:
Step back into the Matrix with this new poster for The Matrix Resurrections. Watch it in theaters and on HBO Max* this Christmas. #TheMatrix pic.twitter.com/85le51WcRg
— The Matrix Resurrections – 🚫 Spoilers! (@TheMatrixMovie) November 17, 2021
Also in November, The Matrix Resurrections Twitter account asked fans to like a Tweet, in order to receive “weekly directives”. Abdul-Mateen II and Henwick can be heard in the adjoining video talking about a particularly unsafe mission. These directives come in the form of role-play like bits of information based on when you signed up for Twitter.
It’s time to re-enter The Matrix.
♥️ this tweet and receive weekly directives. #TheMatrix pic.twitter.com/avwboYGudH
— The Matrix Resurrections – 🚫 Spoilers! (@TheMatrixMovie) November 17, 2021
Then, at The Game Awards, we got a full clip, with Henwick and Abdul-Mateen II’s characters giving Reeves a tour of the new and improved Matrix. No landlines, imagine that?
Some images surfaced of filming in February 2020, and again in October 2020. In November 2020, it’s believed a party was held to signify filming had wrapped, and everything was going into post-production.
the MAtrix 4 plot: What is The plot of The Matrix 4?
The official synopsis for the movie is: To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, Mr. Anderson, aka Neo, will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. If he’s learned anything, it’s that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of — or into — the Matrix. Neo already knows what he has to do, but what he doesn’t yet know is that the Matrix is stronger, more secure and far more dangerous than ever before.
In an appearance on The One Show, the movie’s star, Keanu Reeves said: “[Wachowski] has written a beautiful, beautiful script,” Reeves went on to add: “It’s a love story, it’s inspiring, it’s another version of a kind of call to wake up, and it entertains, some great action.”
Jessica Henwick, who plays Colleen Wing in Marvel’s Iron Fist, The Defenders, and Luke Cage, as well as appearing in Game of Thrones and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has talked up Wachowski’s filmmaking. “Yeah. Lana [Wachowski] is doing some really interesting things on a technical level in the same way that you know, she created a style back then,” she told ComicBook. “I think she’s going to change the industry again with this film. There’s some camera rigs that I’ve never seen before that we’re using. That’s probably all I can say for that.”
If you have seen The Matrix Resurrections, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. For more science fiction franchise fun, check out our guide to the best Star Wars characters.