Is anybody surprised The Matrix is making a comeback? 1999’s mix of anime, Hong Kong wire stunts, and philosophy lecture grossed millions despite an R rating, set the tone for action movies for half a decade, and is still beloved, even if the messy, weird sequels have cast a shadow on the original. Heck, it’s even a franchise where the term “reboot” actually makes sense. Fortunately, it appears Warner Bros. shares the the opinions of some fans, and it won’t be a reboot.
Zak Penn, whose previous work includes script and story credits on X-Men and Avengers movies, was revealed to be hard at work on something involving The Matrix, and on Twitter confirmed one thing it won’t be is a remake:
All I can say at this point is no one could or should REBOOT the Matrix. People who know Animatrix and the comics understand.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 15, 2017
For those unfamiliar, The Animatrix was a series of short animated films that explored various other aspects of The Matrix‘s history and universe. The comics similarly only touched tangentially, at best, on Neo’s struggle. Penn continues:
Do I want to see more stories set in the universe of the matrix? Yes. Because it's a brilliant idea that generates great stories.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
Look at what people are doing with Xmen universe. Between Logan and Legion and Deadpool, does anyone want them to stop? Not me.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
Penn has a point. Much like Star Wars can easily support movies like Rogue One, there’s no reason to retell Neo’s story when there’s a host of other interesting ideas out there. The Wachowskis always intended The Matrix to be a sprawling setting with different ideas, and the idea of unleashing directors and writers to do their own thing with the idea could feel much more fresh.
(via Twitter)
