ComingSoon.net got the opportunity to catch up with director David Leitch in London in time for the home media release of the hit Fast & Furious spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw, and during our chat, he revealed his desire to return to the smash sci-fi franchise The Matrix with the upcoming fourth installment!
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Fans of the legendary franchise were surprised when it was announced in August that a new installment in the series is underway with Lana Wachowski returning as co-writer, director and producer, alongside Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss returning in their iconic roles.
Leitch started his career in Hollywood as a second-unit director and stunt coordinator on everything from Blade, Fight Club and the first two Matrix sequels to Orgazmo, BASEketball and The Dukes of Hazzard. When ruminating on the revelation of a fourth film underway, Leitch was excited at the prospect of another installment and is very ready to return to the franchise.
“If Lana called and wanted me to do anything on that movie, I would come, I’d carry a c-stand or sandbags,” Leitch said. “I loved working with her and I loved working with her sister and I feel like I owe so much of my filmmaking background to working on not only the Matrix movies, but also Speed Racer, Ninja Assassin. They were great mentors to me, so if they call I’ll be there. Catering [even]!”
In a previous interview with Leitch, CS pointed out the climactic fight scene in the Fast & Furious spin-off between the two heroes and the villain as a nod to his work on The Matrix Revolutions, becoming the first publication to successfully point that out to him.
“It’s a bit of an homage,” Leitch said. “Look, I’m a huge fan of the Wachowskis, and my time spent with them and the incredible amount of filmmaking knowledge they extended upon me during those formidable years. So part of it, yes, was an homage, and we tried to do our own spin on it, but yeah, it’s a little bit of that for sure.”
Read more from our previous interview here!
Jessica Henwick recently entered talks to join a cast that includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, and returning cast members Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. It was recently announced that Jada Pinkett Smith is also in talks to reprise her character Niobe in Warner Bros. sequel.
Production on the film is scheduled to begin in early 2020, Wachowski co-wrote the script with Aleksander Hemon and David Mitchell and will direct the film as well.
Plot details on the film also haven’t been revealed, and given the ending of 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions, it’s not a clear cut answer.
Earlier this year we asked our readers if they were interested in more movies in the series, with 69% of those voting saying “Yes!” In a secondary poll, 58% said they wanted to see a continuation of the series. Looks like they’ll be getting what they wanted!
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The three previous films—The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003)—have earned more than $1.6 billion at the global box office and were all top-10 domestic hits in their respective years of release. The Matrix Revolutions was also the first film ever to release simultaneously in every major country at the same hour around the world.
