New 'Matrix' Film Not A Reboot, May Be Origin Film
Every movie from The Mummy to 21 Jump Street is getting the expanded universe treatment. So it shouldn't be surprising that Warner Brothers is going back to one of their most productive wells, The Matrix, to mine a new series of movies.
Not A Reboot
The internet was overtaken by speculation as soon as WB announced the new Matrix film. The word reboot started getting kicked around pretty quickly. But Zak Penn, the screenwriter behind the project, made it clear that a reboot was not in The Matrix's future.
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Penn's comments affirm our suspicions about the future of genre film. The Matrix is one of the most successful genre movies of all time. It's success helped to define the future of all fantasy and science fiction movies. We expected that the sucess Fox has been having will move the needle on genre film making. If Penn is looking towards the success Fox has found with Logan, Legion, and Deadpool as a guiding light, expect an overhaul across the cinematic spectrum.
An Origin Film
While Penn was quick to rule out a reboot or a remake, he did not address the possibility of a prequel or origin film. This, along with rumors that Warner Brothers is eying Michael B. Jordon (Creed, Chronicle) for the movie, has led to the idea that the movie will be a Morpheus origin film.
According to Birth.Movies.Death, a Morpheus movie is more than a possibility. They reported that WB is definitely moving forward on a Morpheus origin movie starring Michael B. Jordan, saying
“WB is not interested in rebooting The Matrix, but rather in exploring expanded universe concepts... And according to two independent sources we’ve spoken with, one idea that’s gained a lot of support is a prequel film starring Michael B. Jordan as a young Morpheus.”
They went on to report that WB has already put together a writer's room for the project. According to Birth.Movies.Death, the room is very excited about the possibility of moving forward with the Morpheus movie as the next step in the Matrix story.
“Our understanding is that a Morpheus film has long been a concept favored by the folks at Warner Bros.... The studio has established a writer’s room (a sure-fire sign that WB is gunning for multiple films/franchises), and our further understanding is that this Morpheus idea is one of several being kicked around.”
All of these rumors come together to point in one very definitive direction. There seems to be no question that America is headed back to the Matrix in the coming years. While the second and third installments in that series, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolution were not well received, we're excited about returning to that universe.
What about you? Let us know if you're ready to take the red pill in the comments below. And be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to keep up with all the news on next Matrix movies.