In what will be 18 years since the last sequels arrived, The Matrix franchise is being reloaded. It was announced back in August that Keanu Reeves is set to don his trenchcoat and glasses to play Neo once more in The Matrix 4, coming from franchise co-creator Lana Wachowski, and today, Warner Bros. officially assigned the much-anticipated movie a release date.
That’s right, you can expect the next installment in the series to be in theaters from May 21st, 2021. This date was previously occupied by the studio’s long-suffering Akira adaptation, but that was again put on hold when director Taika Waititi signed up to make Thor: Love and Thunder for Marvel over the summer.
Funnily enough, The Matrix 4 taking this date means that it will be coming out the very same day as Lionsgate’s John Wick 4. Keanu fans may have a meltdown deciding which one of these fourth entries in his two major franchises they want to see first.
As we all know already, Reeves will be joined in The Matrix 4 by Carrie-Anne Moss, back as Trinity, and Jada Pinkett Smith, who played Niobe in both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Newcomers to the sci-fi universe, meanwhile, include Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Iron Fist‘s Jessica Henwick, who will serve as leads. Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff and Toby Onwumere are also in the cast.
As of yet, there’s been no confirmation that Laurence Fishburne is reprising his iconic role as Morpheus. Given how massive a part of the Matrix world he is, though, the character is expected to still be represented. In fact, word has it that the plot will involve time travel and see Neo and Trinity encountering a younger version of their mentor.
The Matrix 4 is obviously a placeholder title for now but once filming kicks off in Chicago in February, we should get an official moniker. Watch this space for more.