UPDATE: Although director Chad Stahelski‘s comment has be clarified since, new reports from Discussing Film have surfaced indicating production is set to begin early 2020 in Chicago with the returning directors. Zak Penn will write the screenplay with Michael B. Jordan to star. Currently under the production name of “Project Ice Cream,” Warner Bros. is reported to produce the film. Stay tuned as this story develops. Production Designer Hugh Bateup (‘The Shallows’, ‘The Matrix’) has joined the crew of The Wachowski’s new ‘MATRIX’ film. (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/QEjX1jOCQ0 pic.twitter.com/D5O9O18GTm — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 22, 2019 May 12, 2019: A representative for Chad Stahelski reached out to Slash Film to state that the Wachowskis are not attached to the new film. Original Story: According to reports, The Wachowskis are currently working on a fourth Matrix movie, despite contrary reports. In a recent interview, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum director Chad Stahelski – who worked as Keanu Reeves’ stunt double in the original trilogy – said, “I’m super happy that the Wachowskis are not just doing a Matrix, but they’re expanding what we all loved.” Going on to note, “if it’s anywhere near the level of what they’ve already done, it wouldn’t take more than a call to go, ‘Hey, we want you to be a stunt guy’ and I would probably go and get hit by a car.” Despite knowing that The Wachowskis are working on the upcoming film, Stahelski does not exactly know in what capacity the duo are involved. Stay tuned for more details when they become available. For more entertainment news, check out how Dragon Ball fans celebrated Goku Day 2019.<doc-sep>Over a year ago The Hollywood Reporter broke the story that a reboot of the classic 1999 sci-fi movie The Matrix was in the works and that studio Warner Bros. was developing the project, but that it might be without the original directors, the Wachowski siblings. Two months ago, amid further rumours that The Matrix would be getting a revisit, original Matrix screenwriter Zak Penn took to Twitter to clarify the reports. All I can say at this point is no one could or should REBOOT the Matrix. People who know Animatrix and the comics understand. — Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 15, 2017 Can't comment yet except to say that the words "reboot" and "remake" were from an article. Let's stop responding to inaccurate news. — Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017 Now, it’s been reported that John Wick Chapter 3 director Chad Stahelski told Yahoo Movies UK that the Wachowski siblings are working on a fourth instalment. A year ago, THR said they were not involved with the project. “I’m super happy that the Wachowskis are not just doing a Matrix, but they’re expanding what we all love,” said Stahelski. He didn’t mention whether or not they were eyeing him as director, or if they’d direct the project themselves. But Stahelski did add, “And if they wanted help, I would absolutely put down whatever I was doing to help them.” It could be a good partnership. Stahelski worked as a stunt double for Keanu Reeves on the original trilogy and stayed close ever since, Stahelski offering Reeves the starring role in his trilogy of John Wick films. When asked if he would return to his role as Neo, Reeves, 54, told Yahoo: “That would be a gift. I wouldn’t say no to that. Yeah.” But would the role of Neo be beyond the actor’s scope today, 20 years on? “I think when you get to revisit a story and continue to tell a story, you’re bringing in the past and the work that you’ve done. So for me, it’s about placing the emotional state of where you are into who the character is. How do they feel? How do they think? And then putting on the suit, if the costume really becomes the exterior that you fill in.” In case you don’t know it, Reeves’ character died at the end of the original trilogy, but the film’s final scenes left it open to the possibility that Neo could return.<doc-sep>Frequently, when franchise builders let other people take over a franchise, they stay on as producers, so it's possible that could be what the Wachowski's have in mind, being involved at the top level without having their hands directly on the new film. Though certainly one assumes if one or both were interested in directing, the job is probably theirs.<doc-sep>
It looks like a fourth instalment of The Matrix series is on the way, according to the director of John Wick 3: Parabellum. It’s been 20 years since the release of the Wachowskis’ first Matrix movie, which starred Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, and it now appears a follow-up to the original trilogy is in development. Speaking to Yahoo Movies UK ahead of the release of John Wick 3: Parabellum, director Chad Stahelski appeared to break the news of The Matrix 4‘s development. “I’m super happy that the Wachowskis are not just doing a Matrix, but they’re expanding what we all loved,” he revealed. “And if it’s anywhere near the level of what they’ve already done, it wouldn’t take more than a call to go, ‘Hey, we want you to be a stunt guy’, and I would probably go and get hit by a car.” Before turning his attention to being a director, Stahelski worked as a stuntman in Hollywood – he was Keanu Reeves’ stunt-double in the original Matrix trilogy. Asked if he knew who’d be directing the new movie, he responded: “I’m not sure of the overall. I’m not sure if Lana [Wachowski] is.” Then asked if the Wachowskis were involved, he seemed to be pretty sure that they were. “Yeah. And if they wanted help, I would absolutely put down whatever I was doing to help them,” he added. However, he has since confirmed that the Wachowski’s wont be involved after all. Meanwhile, a producer for The Matrix has revealed that Sandra Bullock was offered the role of Neo in the 1999 sci-fi epic. The part, played by Keanu Reeves, was presented to Bullock after the team failed to cast an A-list actor for it. In a desperate bid to secure a leading star, the producers changed Neo to a woman and hoped that Bullock would take the job. “It was pretty simple. We sent her the script to see if she was interested in it. And if she was interested in it we would try to make the change,” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said. “It just wasn’t something for her at the time. So really it didn’t go anywhere.”