Since word came on Tuesday that Warner Bros. is developing a reboot of The Wachowski’s groundbreaking 1999 film The Matrix, it got many people talking about how The Matrix should never be rebooted, or how now is the perfect time for a reboot of the franchise.
Zak Penn, the screenwriter who is in charge of writing the new film, recently took to Twitter to discuss his thoughts on the news and said some interesting things about the project. The Matrix reboot may not entirely be a reboot after all, but a continuation of the universe, much like The Animatrix or FX’s X-Men themed Legion, because “it’s a brilliant idea that generates great stories”. He even said that the only person who could recast Keanu Reeves is Keanu Reeves.
All I can say at this point is no one could or should REBOOT the Matrix. People who know Animatrix and the comics understand.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 15, 2017
Can't comment yet except to say that the words "reboot" and "remake" were from an article. Let's stop responding to inaccurate news.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
If I were going to recast Keanu Reeves, I would cast Keanu Reeves.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
How about just re-release the matrix? Don't reboot it, you can't do better.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
Do I want to see more stories set in the universe of the matrix? Yes. Because it's a brilliant idea that generates great stories.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
Look at what people are doing with Xmen universe. Between Logan and Legion and Deadpool, does anyone want them to stop? Not me.
— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017
His referencing of The Animatrix is an interesting comparison. That was an anime released in 2003, just prior to The Matrix Reloaded, which told a series of anthologies set in The Matrix universe with a couple stories loosely tying into Reloaded and Revolutions. With the exception of Penn’s involvement with the treatment, not much is known about the reboot/continuation, except for the possibility that WB is eyeing Creed‘s Michael B. Jordan to star in the new film.
Would you rather see a continuation of The Matrix, or spin-off stories set during the original trilogy? Let us know in the comments below…
Originally published March 17, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
