If you had to pick between starring in a major Marvel Studios movie or an anticipated action sequel with Keanu Reeves, which would you pick? This was a genuine question Jessica Henwick was faced with, as she was faced with pursuing a role in either Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings or The Matrix Resurrections. Neither role was a guarantee, but Henwick was told to decide between auditioning for one or the other, ultimately going with the fourth Matrix movie.
Jessica Henwick detailed her decision to Entertainment Weekly, saying both Disney and Warner Bros. knew about the opposing side’s interest in Henwick, giving her an ultimatum. Henwick says that this ironically reminded her of the choice Neo (Keanu Reeves) is bestowed with by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) in the original Matrix movie, a moment that will seemingly be recreated in a way in The Matrix Resurrections. In any case, she auditioned for and ultimately landed the part of Bugs in the sequel.
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“It was a red-pill/blue-pill moment for me,” Henwick said of the choice. She also describes her character as “the audience’s eyes” into Resurrections. She is one of several newcomers coming into the franchise, joining Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a younger, alternate version of Morpheus. Other new stars include Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Christina Ricci. Of course, Keanu Reeves is back alongside Carrie-Anne Moss and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Jessica Henwick also teased a “new tone” and “a new look” for The Matrix Resurrection, which makes the sequel more “joyous” than other installments of the series. This echoes similar sentiments shared by Keanu Reeves, who was “struck by how much humor is in it,” though he added, “It’s throwing down the Matrix gauntlet again; it’s super smart, clever, entertaining, suspenseful, and funny.”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also describes The Matrix Resurrections as, “Out of all of the sci-fi things that I’ve done, Matrix is the one that is the most grounded in reality, ironically. There are all of the high concepts surrounding The Matrix within our story, but really there’s so much heart and humanity that’s driving this narrative."
“When I read the script for this movie I cried, because the idea of watching these two iconic actors in these two iconic parts coming back and fighting to have their love again just wrecked me,” co-star Jonathan Groff also said of the script.
Lana Wachowsksi directs The Matrix Resurrections using a screenplay co-written with David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon. We’ll see how this movie fares when it is released, but Warner Bros. has already pre-committed to a sequel so as long as Wachowski will return. Company CEO Ann Sarnoff previously told Deadline, “Anytime Lana wants to make a movie, we’re all in.”
The Matrix Resurrections is scheduled to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on Dec. 22, 2021. The day-and-date release strategy follows previous delays, as at one point, the sequel was even set to premiere on the same day as another anticipated Keanu Reeves movie, John Wick: Chapter 4. This news comes to us from Entertainment Weekly.
