This early in the project, the answers are all probably just as fluid with Warner Brothers as the questions themselves.
Here is what we do know.
Zak Penn is in talks to write a treatment for the project. He wrote the story for 2012’s The Avengers as well as the screenplay for The Incredible Hulk as well as Spielberg’s upcoming film Ready Player One. He also created the Syfy show Alphas. I’d say that gives him some of the credentials I’d look for when finding someone new to write a new Matrix film.
Are the Wachowski’s involved?
Not at this point. I’m guessing the most we’ll see is some kind of producer credit, or even smaller. They’ve had a string of box office failures, including Jupiter Ascending, which was apparently going to be a litmus test to see if Warners even wanted to have them create another Matrix film. They’re also busy with a Netflix show, and frankly if they had wanted to create another Matrix sequel, they would have by now. As they haven’t, I’m okay with new creators coming in. It worked for Star Wars, which is now 2 for 2 in a post George Lucas universe.
What about legendary producer Joel Silver?
Apparently, back in 2012 he sold his interest in his productions to Warners for about $30 million. He had approached Warners with an idea to mine The Matrix for another film, but may or may not be involved in the new project.
Who will direct it?
Warner Brothers is wisely making the decision to find an A-list director to helm the project. That makes me very happy. I’m ready for someone else to put their own stamp on the franchise, and I hope that it’s a really good director that can bring something new to the universe. The article at the Hollywood Reporter says that it is unlikely that the Wachowski’s will direct it, and I’m completely okay with that. I know there are those that will disagree with me on this, but I’m okay with that. Bring on someone new.
Who will be in it?
There is talk that Michael B. Jordan is potentially going to star, but he also has a lot on his plate, so scheduling conflicts could get in the way. He’s working on Black Panther as well as a potential sequel to Creed. There’s talk that Warner Brothers wants to get an A-list star as well. Michael B. Jordan isn’t quite on the A-list yet, I expect him to be there soon.
Who would Michael B. Jordan play?
There are already some reporting that he would play the role of Neo, but seeing as the nature of the project hasn’t been revealed yet, that isn’t something that is possible to be sure of. That said, it’d be cool to see a new Neo flying around.
Some at Warners believe that The Matrix is comparable to a film like Casablanca when it comes to their IP. However, they saw what Lucasfilm has done with Star Wars and saw the possibilities for The Matrix. Could we see Morpheus: A Matrix Story in the future?
Either way, the future of The Matrix is beginning to take shape. We’ll see where it goes from here, and you can be sure we’ll cover it here!