The Matrix Resurrections is set to hit theaters this December, bringing fans back into the action-packed science-fiction world of the Wachowski sisters. And although Lilly Wachowski didn’t return for Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity’s (Carrie-Anne Moss) next adventure, Lana Wachowski wrote and directed the upcoming sequel.
Of course, that wasn’t always the plan for the older Wachowski sister. For some time after The Matrix Revolutions rounded out the original trilogy of films in 2003, both Wachowskis were adamantly against reviving the story for another round. During a recent screenwriting panel, Lana recalled how Warner Bros. Pictures kept asking the duo to make more movies — and how they kept declining:
"Every year, Warner Bros. would ask us to make another one, and every year, they would drive truckloads of money up to our house and say, ‘You could have this!’ And we said, ‘No, no, no — not interested, not interested, not interested.’ It never was interesting to me as an idea of trying to continue it."
Why Lana Wachowski decided to return for The Matrix Resurrections
So, how did Warner Bros. convince Lana to sign on for another Matrix movie? As it turns out, the studio had very little to do with it.
Lana returned to the characters on her own following a series of personal tragedies. During the same screenwriting panel, she explained how the loss of her parents and a family friend drew her back into the world she’d created and how it helped her find solace.
"My brain has always reached into my imagination. And one night, I was just crying and couldn’t sleep. Suddenly, my brain exploded this whole story and I couldn’t have my mom and dad. I couldn’t talk to my mom and yet, suddenly, I had Neo and Trinity — arguably the two most important characters in my life — and it was immediately comforting to have these two characters alive again."
It’s a touching and heartbreaking admission and suggests the film will have some heavy emotional beats. But after an unprecedented and difficult year, perhaps The Matrix Resurrections will bring a similar sense of comfort to audiences.
“This is what art does and this is what stories do,” Lana added. “They comfort us and they’re important.”
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h/t SyFy Wire