Reasons to watch 'Matrix Resurrections', including star-studded cast

A little more than 20 years after 'The Matrix', a new movie of the saga came out. 'Matrix Resurrections' is the fourth instalment of the iconic film series created by the Wachowski sisters, and it came to cinemas at Christmas.

This time Lana Wachowski is alone in the control seat, as her sister Lily (pictured) declined to participate because she was going through a period of great physical and mental exhaustion, in addition to being in the series 'Work in Progress'.

Lana has been in charge of the script with novelist David Mitchell ('Cloud Atlas') and Aleksandar Hemon, both of whom collaborated with her on the series 'Sense8'.

The filming of Matrix Resurrections began in 2020 in San Francisco and was not without its fair share of accidents. They included an explosion that caused several material damages on a street in the city. After several pauses in production, the film finished shooting in November 2020.

Those who do return to their roles - as Neo and Trinity - are Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss, as well as Jada Pinkett-Smith as Niobe and Lambert Wilson as the Merovingian.

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For the first time in the Matrix we will see Neil Patrick Harris, playing Neo's psychologist; Christina Ricci and Priyanka Chopra, as well as Eréndira Ibarra and Brian J. Smith, both veterans of the Sense8 series. Not to mention Jonathan Groff who has replaced Hugo Weaving as a certain agent...

Weaving didn't return due to a typical Hollywood issue - scheduling conflicts. Weaving was working on a stage play at the time of filming and Lana Wachowski was unable to make the dates work, something Weaving didn't take personally, but he was certainly disappointed he wasn't able to collaborate, according to ScreenRant. With Agent Smith as a renegade program in this instalment, expect a new dimension to the character, wonderfully portrayed by Groff.

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Perhaps the biggest surprise of this film was the young talent Jessica Henwick who plays Bugs. The British actress cements herself in Hollywood after this performance where she effortlessly and naturally leads Neo back to the 'real world', forges relationships with machines and shows off her impressive fighting moves.

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays a new version of Morpheus, the character originally played by Laurence Fishburne (r), who was not invited to participate in this sequel. Why? In an interview with Collider, Fishburne said: "You’d have to ask Lana Wachowski why, because I don’t have an answer for that." Fishy.

Since the remains of Morpheus were never discovered in the real world, it's going to be interesting to see which Morpheus Wachowski will continue to include. We will be intrigued to see whether or not Wachowski wants to cast Fishbourne in a potential fifth film in the saga.

Without giving away too many spoilers, one of the teasers posted on their official website hints that Yahya Adul-Mateen II's Morpheus could be a machine creation.

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There was speculation that 'Matrix Resurrections' might be a prequel to 'The Matrix', but it is, of course a sequel and both the plot and script nod to the first film where Neo discovers everything anew.

The trailer shows Neo living in a fictional building in San Francisco, similar to the simulation in the first film. For those confused, yes he did die in the previous film. All will be answered, we promise.

He still has memories of his life as the Chosen One, which he discusses with a psychologist played by Neil Patrick Harris. He believes he is going 'crazy', but Harris, as a professional, is reluctant to use that word. It's much darker than that.

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The Matrix source code is unveiled before Neo's eyes, who says he perceived it "as dreams that weren't just dreams". Dreams that seemed much more like memories, perhaps?

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However, one of those memories that's hardest to pin is his relationship with Trinity, for upon seeing her in a coffee shop, she asks him "Have we met?" It's fair to mention here, that Carrie-Anne Moss still looks as radiant as ever.

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Neo seems to be under the effects of certain blue pills - which we can see him throwing down the sink.

Is his amnesia broken when Neo meets the new Morpheus (Abdul-Mateen) who gives him the inevitable red pill?

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The 'Matrix 4' was originally scheduled for release on 21 May this year, but due to the pandemic, its release was pushed back to 22 December 2021 in the US.

'The Matrix' was a real revolution in 1999, but the two subsequent sequels gradually lost the interest of fans, probably because the impact of the novelty was no longer as strong. Does Lana manage to get her fans hooked again? She certainly has the cast to do just that.

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