The Matrix Resurrections

The Matrix Resurrections is a 2021 American science fiction action film produced, co-written, and directed by Lana Wachowski. It is the sequel to The Matrix Revolutions (2003) and the fourth and final installment in The Matrix film franchise. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lambert Wilson, and Jada Pinkett Smith reprise their roles from the previous films, and they are joined by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The film is set sixty years after the events of Revolutions and follows Neo, who lives a seemingly ordinary life as a video game developer troubled with distinguishing dreams from reality. A group of rebels, with the help of a programmed version of Morpheus, free Neo from an altered Matrix and fight a new enemy that holds Trinity captive.

Following the release of Revolutions, the Wachowskis denied the possibility of another Matrix film, though rumors emerged since then about a possible fourth Matrix film and the studio constantly expressed interest in reviving the franchise, hiring Zak Penn to write a new screenplay after the Wachowskis refused every offer to create more sequels. In late 2019, a fourth Matrix film was finally announced, with Lana Wachowski returning as director without her sister and Reeves and Moss reprising their roles. Filming started in February 2020 but was halted the next month by the COVID-19 pandemic. Wachowski toyed with the possibility of shelving the project and leaving the film unfinished, but the cast insisted that she finish it. Filming resumed in August 2020, concluding three months later.

The Matrix Resurrections premiered in Toronto on December 16, 2021, and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 22, 2021, both theatrically and via the HBO Max streaming service. It has grossed over $70 million. Critics praised the performances of the cast, though the writing, action scenes, and visuals received some criticism.