Warner Bros. is Looking to Bring Back The Matrix - Updated

[Marter]

Warner Bros. is Looking to Bring Back The Matrix - Updated

Just how far down the rabbit hole will we go this time?

The groundbreaking philosophical sci-fi action movie franchise is looking to make a return to the cinemas, according to Warner Bros. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/matrix-reboot-works-at-warner-bros-986292], the studio behind the Matrix trilogy, is looking to relaunch its iconic franchise.

Jupiter Ascending [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/zak+penn][/I], was a financial failure, earning $184 million worldwide on a budget of $176 million.

Keanu Reeves [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/keanu+reeves] has, in the past, claimed that he would be open to doing further Matrix movies - but only if the Wachowskis continued to write and direct. If they're not involved, the best fans could hope for would be a cameo from the star.

The Matrix Revolutions [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix], both of which made a lot of money but were not received as well by the audience.

As far as I'm concerned, The Matrix still holds up pretty well and this potential reboot is unnecessary - if they're just going to do The Matrix again. On the other hand, if it takes a different direction - telling different types of stories and using the Matrix as a backdrop, even within the original films' continuity - then it could be a very lucrative decision, both financially and artistically. I just hope they call it "The Matrix Rebooted."

What are your thoughts?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/matrix-reboot-works-at-warner-bros-986292]

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Update: Zak Penn took to Twitter to say that he, too, doesn't want to reboot or remake The Matrix at this time. Given that he's supposedly writing the treatment, that gives us some indication as to where the franchise is heading.

<tweet t=https://twitter.com/zakpenn/status/842029880472616960>
<tweet t=https://twitter.com/zakpenn/status/842607579012382720>
<tweet t=https://twitter.com/zakpenn/status/842608247232069634>
<tweet t=https://twitter.com/zakpenn/status/842611801606959105>
<tweet t=https://twitter.com/zakpenn/status/842612174539317249>

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[Silentpony_v1legacy]

If they cast Melissa McCarthy as a lady Neo...

 

[Igor-Rowan]

I fear who they might cast as Neo and Trinity, the fun thing about their character is that they were as lively as the machines they were fighting agaisnt, and that sort of tongue in cheek brilliance made The Matrix the success it is.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Eugh, please no.

 

[Marter]

If they cast Melissa McCarthy as a lady Neo...

I think that's what we all need.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C67UO6gV0AE7keC.jpg

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Matrix is one of WB best grossing franchises. Makes you wonder why they are looking to do more considering the power house their DC movies are.

 

[Hawki]

The Matrix Rebooted?

The Matrix Relaunched?

The Matrix Revisited?

The Matrix Recollections?

Stuff that begins with "R" aside, I'm kind of "meh" about this. I think there's lots of stories that you can tell within the Matrix universe (as stuff like the Animatrix and comics proved), but I figure this is going to be either a reboot, or a continuation of the trilogy that isn't needed, and something that was already done in The Matrix Online.

Oh, and apparently being "red pilled" is now a meme for having 'woken up' from media control or something, so there is that. 0_0

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

I just hope they call it "The Matrix Rebooted."

The Matrix: We Turned It Off Then On Again

Honestly I didn't think it was that great a film series the first time around (I'm a complete weirdo who thinks the second one is actually the best), though it obviously made that dollar y'all so I can se why they want it back

 

[Saelune]

I fear who they might cast as Neo and Trinity, the fun thing about their character is that they were as lively as the machines they were fighting agaisnt, and that sort of tongue in cheek brilliance made The Matrix the success it is.

Why does everybody think it will be a remake whenever this question comes up? There are a lot of possibilities for sequels and side stories. Maybe even a prequel about the first One, who woke up and began freeing the slaves.

Because remakes are hot stuff. Though I would prefer they just revive rather than reboot.

 

[Saulkar]

There is potential for exploring more of the universe so I am hesitantly optimistic. On the other hand we might have to contend with more bullshit like human batteries. How much of an out of touch executive do you have to be to think that parallel processing is beyond the layman?!

 

[Diablo2000]

The Matrix Rebooted?

The Matrix Relaunched?

Those are so stupidly brilant that I wouldn't be surprise if it was the actual title.

Either way, meh. I really like the first movie and only a few handful of Animatrix. I not feeling all that excited for a remake\reboot\soft reboot.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Cool. How about making a sandbox Matrix game with destruction? It almost literally writes itself at that point for fucks sake.

 

[LysanderNemoinis]

I'm not entirely opposed to more Matrix, especially given that the Wachowski brothers aren't involved. Ever since they went off the deep end, their writing ability disappeared. A reboot is unnecessary but at least the trilogy concluded, so it's not like the reboot is replacing an unfinished story.

 

[Kyrian007]

This makes a very funny kind of sense. Lord of the Rings is over, the Nolan Batmans are over, the main series Harry Potter is over, and with the exception of Lego the rest of their "tentpole" franchises are realllllyyyy awful and easily not long for this world. Its pretty simple, they need a win. They need something to support themselves. Their gas tank is running empty.

They make money, but they don't make the huge success money that Nolan Batman, LotR, and Potter made their shareholders accustomed to. Meanwhile Disney is just killing it. Destroying WB in income and critical acclaim. WB is desperate to find something... anything that can give them the kind of success they once had. I guarantee The Matrix is not where they will stop trying to find something that works. They've given WB TV a shot at reviving Lethal Weapon. I guarantee we'll see an attempt to reboot Gremlins at some point soon. Hell, probably Police Academy too.

 

[Hawki]

This makes a very funny kind of sense. Lord of the Rings is over, the Nolan Batmans are over, the main series Harry Potter is over, and with the exception of Lego the rest of their "tentpole" franchises are realllllyyyy awful and easily not long for this world. Its pretty simple, they need a win. They need something to support themselves. Their gas tank is running empty.

They make money, but they don't make the huge success money that Nolan Batman, LotR, and Potter made their shareholders accustomed to. Meanwhile Disney is just killing it. Destroying WB in income and critical acclaim. WB is desperate to find something... anything that can give them the kind of success they once had. I guarantee The Matrix is not where they will stop trying to find something that works. They've given WB TV a shot at reviving Lethal Weapon. I guarantee we'll see an attempt to reboot Gremlins at some point soon. Hell, probably Police Academy too.

Wait, what?

I mean, yeah, Lord of the Rings is over, so is Nolan Batman, but that's about it. Harry Potter still has life with Fantastic Beasts, and personal thoughts aside, that grossed 811 million, and got decent critical acclaim, with four sequels in the pipeline. As much as the DCEU has been maligned critically, every installment so far has brought home the cash. I'd say that as long as that happens, the DCEU might be to WB what Transformers is to Paramount - maligned critically, loved commercially.

I'll be honest, I don't really think of film franchises in the context of what studio is involved with them (usually), but based on those listed franchises, I don't see any empty gas tanks, unless there's something that I don't know. The idea of the Matrix being rebooted doesn't strike me as desparation, it more strikes me as a fact that successful films will inevitably be rebooted somewhere down the line.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

Honestly I didn't think it was that great a film series the first time around (I'm a complete weirdo who thinks the second one is actually the best), though it obviously made that dollar y'all so I can se why they want it back

I do, generally speaking, think the first's the best in terms of at least having the most focus, but I personally reject the 'the sequels were shite' assessment, and see all three as necessary parts to tell Neo's and Smith's stories. To me it's like some sprawling three act narrative, and the original would feel so lackluster, simplistic, and anticlimactic on its lonesome.

As for more Matrix? Eh, I don't like the idea. It was of its time for a number of reasons, and I feel the story and themes the Wachowski's explored in that world were done and dusted. Nothing's gained by going over the same ideas again, 'cept with different - not-iconic - characters.

I'm not entirely opposed to more Matrix, especially given that the Wachowski brothers aren't involved.

C'mon, whilst you're technically correct, you really should at least just say 'siblings'.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Man, I can't wait for a rehash made without the involvement of the creators to completely miss the point of the original.

 

[Kyrian007]

This makes a very funny kind of sense. Lord of the Rings is over, the Nolan Batmans are over, the main series Harry Potter is over, and with the exception of Lego the rest of their "tentpole" franchises are realllllyyyy awful and easily not long for this world. Its pretty simple, they need a win. They need something to support themselves. Their gas tank is running empty.

They make money, but they don't make the huge success money that Nolan Batman, LotR, and Potter made their shareholders accustomed to. Meanwhile Disney is just killing it. Destroying WB in income and critical acclaim. WB is desperate to find something... anything that can give them the kind of success they once had. I guarantee The Matrix is not where they will stop trying to find something that works. They've given WB TV a shot at reviving Lethal Weapon. I guarantee we'll see an attempt to reboot Gremlins at some point soon. Hell, probably Police Academy too.

Wait, what?

I mean, yeah, Lord of the Rings is over, so is Nolan Batman, but that's about it. Harry Potter still has life with Fantastic Beasts, and personal thoughts aside, that grossed 811 million, and got decent critical acclaim, with four sequels in the pipeline. As much as the DCEU has been maligned critically, every installment so far has brought home the cash. I'd say that as long as that happens, the DCEU might be to WB what Transformers is to Paramount - maligned critically, loved commercially.

I'll be honest, I don't really think of film franchises in the context of what studio is involved with them (usually), but based on those listed franchises, I don't see any empty gas tanks, unless there's something that I don't know. The idea of the Matrix being rebooted doesn't strike me as desparation, it more strikes me as a fact that successful films will inevitably be rebooted somewhere down the line.

You may be right with Fantastic Beasts... but I'm not convinced that it has 4 movies that can deliver in it. Even saying that makes me remember that after Ace Ventura 2 they released another Ace Ventura movie... and what that turned out like. There's only so far you can squeeze a franchise. I just see HP as at that threshold. Maybe it does have another 4 or 5 movies though. But the DCEU... they've made some money. But they are very expensive to make as well. Those bad critical performances, that's gotta be a terrifying prospect to try and make a financial foundation on. No sweat if you have other, tried and true moneymakers going. And Lego might be enough (for now) to cover a potential huge money loss. But it won't be forever. And with DC... WB needs that to be a tentpole foundation, not a potential risk. They remember Jonah Hex, they remember Green Lantern.

 

[Bindal]

I fear who they might cast as Neo and Trinity, the fun thing about their character is that they were as lively as the machines they were fighting agaisnt, and that sort of tongue in cheek brilliance made The Matrix the success it is.

Why does everybody think it will be a remake whenever this question comes up? There are a lot of possibilities for sequels and side stories. Maybe even a prequel about the first One, who woke up and began freeing the slaves.

Because remakes are hot stuff. Though I would prefer they just revive rather than reboot.

What's stopping them from doing both? If I am not mistaken, it was stated outright that the matrix was literally rebooted several times before - they could reboot the franchise by just showing one of those, maybe even the very first itteration of it.
Or do something like Animatrix or Flight of Osiris, show sidestories.