More of the Matrix

Last week, news broke that Warner Bros was planning to reboot The Matrix, with Michael B. Jordan (Creed) up for the lead role.

Naturally, the whole world was outraged – even those who don’t normally get annoyed by these types of things.

The Matrix crossed over multiple demographics; something that you liked, but so did your mum, and your boss and probably your dog if your dog watched movies. It hooked action movie fans, hardcore sci-fi nerds, cult film fanatics, martial arts aficionados, that odd subset of folks that like Keanu Reeves… not for nothing is The Matrix currently ranked number 18 on IMDB’S list of the 250 top rated movies. Despite being almost 20 years old, The Matrix still feels like a film made today (minus a couple of dodgy effects and actors looking younger). Since the news broke, Warner Bros has scrambled to take control of the story and reiterate that the new film *won’t* be a reboot or a remake, but will instead be a side story set in the world of The Matrix.

And so, the likelihood now is that Michael B. Jordan won’t be playing an updated version of Neo (a neo Neo?), but rather a young Morpheus instead. Warner Bros now says it is interested in “exploring expanded universe concepts”, which sounds like a great big franchise to me. This is all backed up by writer Zak Penn (who was apparently tasked with writing the reboot), who said through a series of tweets that there was no Matrix reboot or remake but hinted that several side films set in the universe were in the works. No one knows yet if the Wachowski siblings who made the original trilogy will be involved with the young Morpheus project or any future Matrix-set films. It’s been suggested that they won’t have any official involvement, but that Warner Bros would like their blessing.

Even a tiny involvement with the new future project(s) would go a long way in some fans’ minds. Warner Bros has clearly been taking notes from Disney and the way they’ve kept George Lucas as a pet to calm the more rabid Star Wars fans.

What this Morpheus film would be about though is anyone’s guess. Morpheus believed in the prophecy that one day The One would be found, and would lead humanity in their glorious victory against their machine oppressors.

Basically, Morpheus was pretty cool, and is definitely worthy of his own film.

‘Despite being almost 20 years old, The Matrix still feels like a film made today (minus a couple of dodgy effects and actors looking younger)’

Keanu Reeves as Neo in Warner Brothers’ The Matrix Revolutions