New Matrix film

[Small Man Big Horse]

The AV Club have just reported this story:

As it turns out, those denials of a new Matrix sequel were every bit as much of an illusion as that damned spoon. Variety brings the rather surprising news that Lana Wachowski—one-half of the duo behind the original trilogy—is returning to direct a fourth installment in The Matrix series. And in a whoa-worthy turn of events, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are both back on board—all of which is, quite frankly, shocking, but in a very awesome way. Details regarding the nature of the film's plot are unknown, though Wachowski touched on the relevance of re-entering The Matrix in her official statement:

Many of the ideas Lilly and I explored 20 years ago about our reality are even more relevant now. I'm very happy to have these characters back in my life and grateful for another chance to work with my brilliant friends.

As of now, it appears that Lilly Wachowski is very much not involved with this sequel, which may explain the official denials in response to John Wick director Chad Stahelski seemingly spilling the beans. Lilly's absence is further underlined by this quote, from Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich, which feels deliberate in its reference to Lana as "singular":

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.

Lana Wachowski is producing the fourth Matrix film, which is based on a screenplay she co-wrote with Aleksander Hemon and David Mitchell. Production will begin early next year.

I truly do not care, but if it's the David Mitchell who wrote Cloud Atlas (or the David Mitchell behind Under The Silver Lake for that matter) then it might be interesting.

Edit: It's the Cloud Atlas David Mitchell apparently, who also wrote for Sense8.

[Schnapple]

Our David Mitchell would be even more interesting.

"And a little red or blue pill isn't going to change that. Now go on, fuck off!"

(Hardly excited for this tbh)

[bgmnts]

What is the point of this?

[Replies From View]

Blimey; imagine thinking that the Matrix franchise deserves to be anything other than dead and buried.

Must be quite stupid people involved in this I suspect.

[Noodle Lizard]

You occasionally meet people who genuinely do like oft-maligned sequels, like Godfather 3 for instance.  I have never met, read or heard of someone who liked either Matrix sequel.

[Replies From View]

You occasionally meet people who genuinely do like oft-maligned sequels, like Godfather 3 for instance.  I have never met, read or heard of someone who liked either Matrix sequel.

I encountered a few people around 2003-5 online who claimed that not liking the Matrix sequels meant not understanding them.

Such a lot of disproportionate annoyance spun out from those sequels; I hated them far more than was rational I'm sure.  Just so much imaginable hope pinned onto such shit films that I felt deeply swindled.  I've no idea why I cared so much.

[Ferris]

You occasionally meet people who genuinely do like oft-maligned sequels, like Godfather 3 for instance.  I have never met, read or heard of someone who liked either Matrix sequel.

I did a philosophy of film module at university, and my friends all laughed at me.

"It'll be the Matrix!", they chuckled, "or worse - the Matrix Part Two!"

Annoyingly, the Matrix Part Two was included as suggested viewing. It was no better in an academic vicinity than it was as a punter, unfortunately. Load of shit. Why make more?

_{(I think I've told this story before, but I got a high 2:1 on this laughably easy course despite having cribbed everything off wikipedia the night before in an amphetamine fug. I wrote my final paper on the Seventh Seal - still never seen it and doubt I ever will. Top marks. Red brick university my arse.)}

[mothman]

Been seeing some "Reloaded is actually quite good, it's Revolutions that sucks" revisionism creeping in since this announcement.

[madhair60]

I love both sequels and I'm excited for this

[Cuellar]

What is the point of this?

Cultural enervation, nothing new under the sun, death of man

[samadriel]

Been seeing some "Reloaded is actually quite good, it's Revolutions that sucks" revisionism creeping in since this announcement.

I wouldn't call it 'quite good', but Reloaded is better than Revolutions by a long way.  Reloaded would've been thought of as an acceptable bridging chapter if Revolutions had actually been good.

edit:  Hehe, obviously I rephrased it.  Although the meaning is essentially the same.

[Replies From View]

I wouldn't call it 'quite good', but Revolutions is far, far worse than Reloaded.  Reloaded would've been thought of as an acceptable bridging chapter if Revolutions had actually been good.

The way I see it, Reloaded needed an incredibly strong third film in order to be passable (and only passable) itself.

It's a film that doesn't go anywhere.  At the beginning of the second film some grey squids are threatening to attack Zion.  At the end of the same film, some grey squids are threatening to attack Zion.  In the meantime, there are loads of scenes that take ages but don't go anywhere:  fight/dance sequences in which nobody gets hurt and they stop arbitrarily (Neo just flies off, or the guy he's fighting just holds up his hand and says "you don't know someone until you fight them), or that overlong car chase in which there's no established geographical end point throughout, and it ends only because Neo flies in at a random moment and saves them.

Nothing happens.  And the writers didn't understand the philosophy they were working with so everyone had to talk in last-minute-undergraduate-essay obfuscatory language all the time.

Dreadful film that needed a very strong third instalment to merely be a passable/tolerable bridge.

[Bad Ambassador]

Cloud Atlas is amazing, so I'm more than willing to give the one Wachowski the benefit of the doubt on this.

[Replies From View]

Cloud Atlas is amazing, so I'm more than willing to give the one Wachowski the benefit of the doubt on this.

If it can be a standalone film that follows the first film only (like there's enough ambiguity to let you skip films two and three without losing anything) then I agree there is potential.  If the film has to follow on from the third then I can't imagine it being anything other than attempting to build on terminally soft sand.

[Urinal Cake]

I watch the Matrix films for great wire-fu and special effects not for philosophy or messy ship battles.
But I expect more of the latter in the new movies.

[Custard]

Oh wait, so the hasty inexplicable truce between man and machine didn't last?

But that weird little girl painted the sky an everything!

[Bad Ambassador]

Funny that Laurence Fishburne, the one major cast member whose character is unequivocally alive at the end of the third film, wasn't in the announcement.

[Piggyoioi]

I've always had a soft spot for Reloaded. Though its an unessesary sequel and kind of hurts the first film, the chateau fight scene to the highway chase is still one of the best action sequences ever filmed, untill Mad Max ofc. Revolutions is utter shite - particularly the action, its almost as if everyone got tired from making the two movies back to back.

this shot in particular is fucking hilariously bad - https://youtu.be/7Pn7YiEEkKA?t=24

People getting upset by this, what would you rather have, another Spiderman sequel?

[greenman]

I've always had a soft spot for Reloaded. Though its an unessesary sequel and kind of hurts the first film, the chateau fight scene to the highway chase is still one of the best action sequences ever filmed, untill Mad Max ofc. Revolutions is utter shite - particularly the action, its almost as if everyone got tired from making the two movies back to back.

this shot in particular is fucking hilariously bad - https://youtu.be/7Pn7YiEEkKA?t=24

People getting upset by this, what would you rather have, another Spiderman sequel?

Yes I wouldn't really disagree, from orgasm cake to highway escape its pretty good, philosophy kept to a few buzzwords and mostly Matrix action and camp villains. it was the attempts to show offer some intellectual depth and to show a more conventional real world conflict that fell totally flat making Revolutions largely aweful.

In retrospect it should have been just one sequel set only in the Matrix and on ship with the invasion of Zion just a countdown clock, hopefully they have the sense to realise that in the new film and avoid showing that kind of stuff again.

[chveik]

both sequels are much stronger than the first film.

[samadriel]

both sequels are much stronger than the first film.

[Custard]

I always say this whenever The Matrix sequels are mentioned, but there's a really good fan edit that mixes them both into one film. It's still too long, and Morpheus simply vanishes towards the end with no explanation, but you can't make a BLT out of cow pat, can ya

I think it's called The Matrix: De-Zionized. As, well, it takes out all of the bullshit on Zion

[biggytitbo]

I bet at Keanu's age his knees can't manage that limbo manoeuver anymore.

[olliebean]

The Matrix is good as long as you don't pretend it has anything of any depth to say about philosophy. The two sequels are just intolerable.

[mothman]

I always say this whenever The Matrix sequels are mentioned, but there's a really good fan edit that mixes them both into one film. It's still too long, and Morpheus simply vanishes towards the end with no explanation, but you can't make a BLT out of cow pat, can ya

I think it's called The Matrix: De-Zionized. As, well, it takes out all of the bullshit on Zion

Awkward removal/minimising of main non-white character role, removing of people from place referred to as Zion... did this amateur editor later apply his talents to Captain Marvel, perchance? ;-)

[Shit Good Nose]

Never thought the first one was much cop, let alone the sequels, but I hope the new one is a two and a half hour long rave in a cave.

[mothman]

Wasn't there a thing where people thought dancing around barefoot in a cave was really unhygienic?

[Shit Good Nose]

Wasn't there a thing where people thought dancing around barefoot in a cave was really unhygienic?

Walking around (like around town and such) barefoot was a thing a few summers ago, reaching its peak with some annoying woman who wrote an article for either the Guardian or Independent espousing walking around with no shoes and basically saying anyone who wore shoes was an awful cunt.  I wanted to punch her right in the tits.

Thankfully it seems to have quickly died a death, but I still see the odd cunt walking around with no shoes on.  Naturally I hope for them to step in glass, dog shit or on a nail or drugs needle.

[mothman]

Yeah, but this was at the time of the release of Reloaded.

[Shit Good Nose]

Yeah, sorry, I did go somewhat off topic there.  You mentioning it just reminded me of the horrors I saw a few years ago.