Ever sinceThe Matrixwas first released back in 1999, the franchise has evolved into one of the most popular movie series of all time. The original trilogy by writers/directorsLilly WachowskiandLana Wachowskicreated a unique, immersive world populated by brilliant characters and sci-fi technology that pushed the limits of imagination. The first series ofMatrixmovies ended with 2003’sThe Matrix Revolutions, which felt quite conclusive. Since then, fans have been curious to see what the future of the franchise could be, and nowThe Matrix 4is set to deliver on those hopes.
Set in a world where sentient machines have overthrown humans and imprisoned them in a simulation called the Matrix, the original trilogy follows the adventures of a human with fantastical powers who fights to overthrow the Machines and save humanity.
The upcoming fourth movie is easily one of the most highly anticipated new films currently in the offing, featuring the return of beloved characters likeKeanu Reeves’ Neo andCarrie-Anne Moss’s Trinity with Lana Wachowski directing solo. So we’ve put together everything we know aboutThe Matrix 4so far, from the plot and casting details to updates on filming and release dates.
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Editor’s Note: This article was most recently updated on June 25, 2025, to reflect the latest updates on The Matrix 4, including the official MPAA rating and the first full plot synopsis.
What Is The Matrix 4’s Title?
Just a few months before its release,The Matrix 4finally has an official title:The Matrix: Resurrections. The title was finally revealed at CinemaCon in August 2021.
What IsThe Matrix: ResurrectionsRated?
The Matrix: Resurrectionsis Rated-Rper a bulletin from the MPAA. The MPAA officially issued the rating in October 2021 for “violence and some language." That’s about on track for the rest of the franchise, which has endured as a groundbreaking adult-oriented original sci-fi franchise in an era where studios lean more and more toward four-quadrant IP far. Considering how much of the original cast and creative team returned, it’s not surprising thatResurrectionswill maintain that tradition, but it is a relief!
Whoa! WatchThe Matrix 4Trailer:
At long last,The Matrix 4trailer has been released! Warner Bros.debuted the trailer in September, just three months before the film is set to debut. And hoo boy, the first look at the film opened up a whole lot more questions than it answered about what’s next for Neo, Trinity, and the fight for humanity’s freedom. Well, just see for yourself below.
When Is The Matrix 4’s Release Date?
It was originally announced that the movie would premiere on July 19, 2025. However, this date had to be dropped because of the COVID-19 shutdown. It was then rescheduled for release on August 08, 2025.
Then in October 2020, the movie’s release date was moved up to December 2021, which now seems to be the confirmed date. So with any luck,The Matrix 4will have its theatrical release just in time for Christmas, on June 25, 2025. Fans will also be able to catch the movie on HBO Max, where it will be available to stream for one month starting on December 22nd.
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Who Is in The Matrix 4 Cast?
Some of the main cast members from the originalMatrixtrilogy are set to return forThe Matrix 4. This includes Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss,Jada Pinkett Smith,Lambert Wilson, andDaniel Bernhardt.
Hugo Weaving, who played the iconic Agent Smith, was initially approached forThe Matrix 4but hehad to declinedue to scheduling conflicts.Laurence Fishburnehas also confirmed that he was not asked to return as main character Morpheus for the fourth film.
There are several new actors joining the franchise includingYahya Abdul-Mateen II,Neil Patrick Harris,Jessica Henwick,Jonathan Groff,Toby Onwumere,Max Riemelt,Eréndira Ibarra,Priyanka Chopra,Andrew Caldwell,Brian J. Smith,Ellen Hollman, andChristina Ricci. We’re yet to get official confirmation on what characters most of these actors will play.
Who Are the Returning Characters in The Matrix 4?
Keanu Reeves will play Neo, the prophesied savior of both humanity and machines known as the One. Over the course of the first three movies, Neo has gone from computer programmer to freedom fighter to superhero. He’s at the very heart of the series and you just couldn’t have a movie in the franchise without him.
In his last appearance inThe Matrix Revolutions, Neo sacrificed himself to defeat Agent Smith and broker a truce between the Machines and the remaining free humans. His body was taken by the Machines, which left the door open for his eventual return.
Carrie-Anne Moss will return as Trinity, a member of the human resistance against the Machines. Trinity and Neo were in a relationship in the original trilogy until her death inThe Matrix Revolutions. It’s currently unknown how she will be brought back for the fourth film.
Jada Pinkett Smith plays Niobe, who first appeared as a supporting character inThe Matrix Reloaded(2003). Niobe is a skilled pilot and martial artist who was once in love with Morpheus. Unlike many of the main characters, Niobe did not believe in the prophecy about the One but she does eventually come to put her faith in Neo by the third movie.
Lambert Wilson plays the Merovingian, one of the oldest programs within the Matrix. A cunning and cruel character, he describes himself as a trafficker of information and behaves more or less like a crime boss. He opposes the Oracle, another ancient program, and seeks to take her place within the system.
Daniel Bernhardt plays Agent Johnson, one of the Matrix’s many Agent programs, designed to protect the simulation. The character first appeared inThe Matrix Reloaded.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II officially confirmed that he’s taking over the role of Morpheus, following the first trailer reveal. Mateen posted a still of himself on his Instagram, costumed in full Morpheus mode, from the shades to the big-ass pair of guns. Captioned with a pretty cut-and-dry reveal: “MORPHEUS.”
What Is The Matrix 4 Story?
In October, as a part of the studio’searly award’s season push for the film, we finally got anofficial plot summary forThe Matrix: Resurrections:
In a world of two realities—everyday life and what lies behind it—Thomas Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. Choice, while an illusion, is still the only way in or out of the Matrix, which is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before.
Aside from that mysterious logline and the glimpses teases in the first trailer, almost nothing concrete has been revealed about The Matrix 4’s plot. However, one of the leading theories is that the film will have something to do with Neo’s truce with the Machines.
One of the conditions that Neo had placed on the Machines was that all the humans who reject the Matrix are to be freed from the simulation. Not only would this allow humanity to regain some amount of freedom, but this would also help ensure that the Matrix can continue in its optimal state without having to reboot every century. The Matrix 4 may show the end of this truce and the beginning of a new Machine War.
Some rumors had previously made the rounds that the film would feature time-travel but these were debunked by Keanu Reeves. In an interview withThe One Show, Reeves said that “There’ll be no going back into the past.” He also described the movie as a “love story” and praised Lana Wachowski’s script.
“We have a wonderful director, Lana Wachowski, and she has written a beautiful script that is a love story,” Reeves said. “It’s inspiring. It’s another version of a kind of, call to wake up. It entertains… It has some great action. All will be revealed.”
When WasThe Matrix 4Filmed?
The film began production on July 23, 2025, and continued until March 16 of the same year, when filming had to be halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Keanu Reeves confirmed on June 06, 2025, that filming had resumed and principal photography was completed on June 12, 2025.
Neil Patrick Harris, one of the new stars joining the franchise, has described Lana Wachowski’s directorial style as being more “intimate” than you would expect from such a big project.
“You would think that a giant movie would be 100% storyboarded, animatics, and we’d be checking off shots,”he told Variety. “I think she lived that before three times over, and I would suspect that she wants to do things her own way now. It wasn’t often that you felt that you were doing something gigantic because she made it feel very intimate.”
John Wick director Chad Stahelski, who is also involved with the film,had previously revealedto Collider that Lana Wachowski prefers to direct her own action scenes.
“We’ve had second unit directors on some of theMatrixesjust because of the logistics involved. But of late, and especially onMatrix 4, she’s directing her own action,” Stahelski said. “The second units for them are mostly establishing shots, the B-sides of the some of the compositions for some locations. But Lana, she does her own action. She weaves it into the main unit stuff, which is why their stuff looks so good."
Interestingly enough, the Wachowskis did not originally intend to continue the franchise after the third installment, though there were many rumors that a fourth film would be released. In fact, Lilly Wachowski had said in a 2015 interview that it was a"particularly repelling idea in these times."
In 2017, THR reported thata reboot was in the workswith Zak Penn roped in to write a treatment. Pennlater clarifiedthat he did not intend to reboot the franchise but that he was interested in expanding on the existing works, but it appears his project did notmove forward.
The Matrix 4wasn’t officially announced by Warner Bros. until August 27, 2025, confirming that Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss would return. It was also confirmed then that Lana Wachowski would be the sole director, and that she would co-write the script alongsideDavid MitchellandAleksandar Hemon. The same writing team has previously worked together onSense8.
When Is The Matrix 4 Set?
It’s currently unclear how the movie fits into the existing timeline of the franchise, and the trailer only opened up more questions about where and when the sequel is set. After the films, there have been multiple stories that expanded on theMatrixuniverse through comics, games, and animation.
One of these later adaptations, the MMORPGThe Matrix Online, was a sequel to the movies and explored the consequences of Neo’s sacrifice inThe Matrix Revolutions. Launched in 2005, the online video game generated mixed reviews and was eventually shut down in 2009.
The game was created with the blessings of the Wachowskis though they weren’t involved in its development. We don’t know if elements from the game’s story will be retained inThe Matrix 4but the new movie may be set a significant amount of time after the third film.
