The Matrix 5 announced by Warner Bros but will Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne-Moss return?

Following an 18 year gap after the original trilogy, fourth movie The Matrix Resurrections hit cinemas in late 2021.

A mysterious one-off sequel, the meta-storyline even involved The Matrix 4 being pitched to Warner Bros.

Despite Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne-Moss reprising their starring roles as Neo and Trinity, the film was a box office disappointment, not helped by a simultaneous release in cinemas and on the HBO Max streaming service.

Nevertheless, The Matrix 5 has now been announced by Warner Bros with The Martian screenwriter Drew Goddard set to write and direct the new blockbuster

The 49-year-old made his directorial debut with The Cabin in the Woods and went on to create the Netflix series Daredevil.

Jesse Ehrman, Warner Bros Motion Pictures president of production, said: “Drew came to Warner Bros with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honouring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters. The entire team at Warner Bros Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making his new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”

This is the first Matrix movie to not directly involve franchise co-creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski, although the former will executive-produce. Meanwhile, there’s no confirmation yet on if the likes of Reeves, Anne-Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving will reprise their roles or if The Matrix 5 will be a complete reboot or sidequel set in the same universe.