“Thomas, you seem particularly triggered right now.”
Well, he’s not the only one. The Matrix Resurrections trailer dropped on Thursday and has taken the internet by storm. The new film is the fourth instalment in the successful Matrix franchise. It also sees Lana Wachowski return to the director’s chair, this time without her sister Lilly. The film was initially scheduled for release on 21 May 2021, but was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Produced by Village Roadshow Pictures and Venus Castina Productions, the movie is now set to premiere worldwide in cinemas on 22 December 2021, and will also be available to stream on HBO Max in the US.
Following years of rumours about a sequel, the Matrix universe has been reimagined for a new generation. The trailer for Resurrections sees Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves reunite as Neo and Trinity, but they don’t seem to recognise each other or their true selves. Since the previous movie ended with their deaths, Resurrections promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of challenging our perceptions of reality in intriguing ways. The trailer also doesn’t skimp on action sequences, combining martial arts and acrobats with spectacular visual effects in classic Matrix style.
In addition to the legendary ‘bullet time’ effect, the red and blue pills are also making a return, showcasing the classic dilemma of the individual’s desire to remain blissfully ignorant of reality or to learn the harsh truth and live in the real world. The franchise has also recruited top actors such as Jada Pinkett Smith, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Christina Ricci, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has replaced Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus.
Warner Bros. has also created an interactive website to promote the movie, which lets fans choose between the red pill and the blue pill. Each alternative features two different outcomes, voiced by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the red one) and Neil Patrick Harris (the blue one) and featuring movie visuals.
The Matrix trilogy defined action movies for an entire generation. Time will tell if this new chapter can live up to the thrill and excitement of the original, and just how far this latest rabbit hole goes.
Words by Khushboo Malhotra
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