New director announced to takeover from the Wachowski sisters for ‘The Matrix 5’
Director Drew Goddard has been announced as the next filmmaker to helm the latest entry in the Matrix saga. The franchise has been on the shelf since the Wachowski sisters, Lana and Lilly, directed The Matrix Resurrections in 2021.
Warner Bros production president, Jesse Ehrman, announced Goddard would be expanding on the world that the Wachowski’s created. Ehrman said in a statement: “Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honouring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago”.
Upon the release of the third film, The Matrix Revolutions, the directing duo said that they had no plans to continue the story any further. The last addition to the franchise they were both directly involved in was the release of the 2005 video game The Matrix: Path of Neo, after which they began work on other projects such as V for Vendetta and Jupiter Ascending.
When previously probed about making a fourth film, the sisters expressed a reluctancy towards adapting the world again. The duo expressed their belief there had been too much time spent between the trilogy and the latest film, but the Matrix Resurrections eventually came to light following increasing demand and the desire for Keanu Reeves to reprise his role as Neo. However, only Lana would sign on to work on the film.
Meanwhile, Goddard has revealed he’s thrilled to continue the tradition that the Wachowski’s began, explaining in a statement, “It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life. Lana and Lilly’s exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world”.
While Goddard will be taking over behind the camera, Lana will still serve as an executive producer on the film. Goddard is best known for his work on other sci-fi films such as World War Z and was the executive producer of the Netflix superhero series Daredevil.
As of yet, there has been no word as to whether Reeves will return to the franchise. The actor recently starred in John Wick: Chapter Four last year, but has previously stated that there was no plan to return to the Matrix following the fourth instalment. However, with it being Hollywood, the future is unpredictable.
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