After the unexpected news that the Brummy gangsters the Peaky Blinders were being reimagined via interpretative dance, The Matrix is now getting in on the action. One of the most common adjectives attached to the unique and innovation action style used by The Wachowskis in 1999’s The Matrix and its sequels was ‘balletic.’ Therefore, reimagining bullet time and the other action set-pieces as dance sequences seems to make total sense.
As well as being the film director behind Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, 127 Hours and more, Danny Boyle also behind the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. He has other theatrical experience, including directing the renowned production of Frankenstein that had Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller swap places as Dr. Frankenstein and the monster each night. Therefore, he seems the right person to be bringing The Matrix to a theatre.
The Matrix dance production will be called Free Your Mind and is set to debut next October at Factory International, a new arts venue in Manchester, UK. The production, described as a “large-scale immersive performance,” will be the venue’s inaugural show.
“Combining the hip-hop choreography of hundreds of dancers with the latest immersive design, Free Your Mind will take audiences on a thrilling journey through The Matrix and into a new realm of possibilities,” reads the logline. “This eye-opening production will stretch across the building’s ultra-flexible spaces, responding to them and harnessing the collective energy of the moment.”
The Matrix was resurrected in 2021 by Lana Wachowski, who made a meta legacy sequel which was mostly well received. The Matrix’s action choreography was hugely influential, and redefined cinema in the decades that followed the original trilogy’s release. The costume design – especially the long black leather trench-coats and sunglasses also made a massive impact on wider pop culture.
If you’re of a theatrical bent, check out our guide to the best musicals.