After decades of anticipation, fans finally got their wish when a Matrix legacy sequel was announced in 2019, with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss returning. Titled The Matrix Resurrections, the film premiered simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max last week to a polarizing reception from both fans and critics alike. But most people believe that it is an improvement over 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions.

But unlike the two previous sequels to the 1999 original, The Matrix Resurrections has failed to draw the audience to theaters. While the mixed reviews, rising COVID-19 cases, and the family-friendly Spider-Man: No Way Home can be factors behind The Matrix: Resurrections’ lackluster box office performance, the same can’t be said for its middling streaming debut. As per Samba TV, The Matrix Resurrections didn’t fare very well on HBO Max either.

However, the profitability of the Matrix franchise has never been a cause for concern before, and expectedly, Warner Bros. wanted to capitalize on that with a fourth Matrix movie with or without the involvement of its creators, the Wachowskis. The Matrix Resurrections producer James McTeigue recently sat down with Collider for an interview. When asked about the future of the Matrix franchise before the announcement of Resurrections, McTeigue revealed that WB was quite keen on making another Matrix movie.

"Look. I think when you've had a franchise with that much potential money making capability, there's always talk. It's in the same way that the Marvel universe repeats and turns in on itself, or you have Spider-Man, or you have Iron Man, or Thor. There's always a potential to update those movies just because of the possibility of making the money and telling new stories. I shouldn't say it's just a purely fiscal thought. But yeah, look, there was versions out there, but they hadn't landed on the right version. So when Lana eventually came back around and said, ‘Look. I'm interested in making another movie,’ of course, they went with the filmmaker who was the genesis of the Matrix."

For a decade, The Matrix Reloaded remained the highest-grossing R-rated movie until Deadpool broke that record in 2016. In fact, the entire Matrix trilogy turned a profit for Warner Bros. Pictures. This fact, combined with the fans' disappointment at Revolutions, had the studio pressing the Wachowskis to make more Matrix movies. But Lily and Lana Wachowski declined multiple times and moved on to other film projects like Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas.

In the late 2010s, reports surfaced that Matrix prequels and spin-offs were being planned. The Avengers writer Zak Penn was revealed to be working on a franchise revival. But WB chose Lana Wachowski’s film over Penn’s. McTeigue, too confirmed that multiple scripts were lined up at the studio. "Yeah. That was real. There were versions out there. But I guess the fates dictated that Lana's story came at the right time, and Warner Brothers were willing to move forward with that story."

Maybe this is what stemmed that meta-joke in The Matrix Resurrections about WB planning a sequel to the trilogy. Will we get more sequels after Resurrections? As per Keanu Reeves, there are currently no plans to further expand the Matrix franchise. We’ll have to suffice with Resurrections for now. The film marks the return of Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lambert Wilson, and Jada Pinkett Smith, who star alongside newcomers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

The Matrix Resurrections was released worldwide on December 22, 2021, and is available to stream on HBO Max. Be sure to check it out.