The Matrix 4 Cast Signs 8-Week Extension

At this point, all news surrounding the reopening of our economy, and film productions, in particular, is incredibly fluid. Yet a new report from Variety at least suggests that studios are seeing some potential to begin filming—or in many cases to resume filming—in the near future. Variety’s Marc Malkin has the exclusive that The Matrix 4 cast has signed eight-week extensions, keeping the actors available until at least July 6. That includes original Matrix stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity respectively, as well as newcomers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Brian J. Smith, and Neil Patrick Harris.

Filming had begun on Lana Wachowski’s fourth installment in her groundbreaking sci-fi saga back in February, starting in San Francisco and then moving to Berlin in mid-March. You know what happened next—production was halted on this and essentially every other film due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Matrix 4 is currently slated for a 2021 release, but like all films that were halted mid-production (or never got out of the pre-production phase), the release schedule is fluid, too. Thus far, Warner Bros. hasn’t specified an exact release date for the film, yet with news of the cast extensions, there are hopes the film might re-start production in July. If that happens, perhaps The Matrix 4 does hit theaters (oh please let there be theaters!) next year.

We were living in an entirely different world when the news that The Matrix 4 was happening, last August. At the time, Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich shared his excitement about the project with Variety: “We could not be more excited to be re-entering The Matrix with Lana. Lana is a true visionary — a singular and original creative filmmaker — and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing and producing this new chapter in The Matrix universe.”

It’s exciting to hear that Warner Bros. thinks there’s a universe in the near future where The Matrix 4 gets back to filming.

Featured image: Carrie-Anne, Moss Laurence Fishburne, and Keanu Reeves standing against brick wall in a scene from the film ‘The Matrix Reloaded’, 2003. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)