Warner Bros. Was Worried About Matrix 4’s Meta Joke About The Studio

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Matrix Resurrections!

Warner Bros. was worried about a meta joke about the studio in The Matrix Resurrections. Resurrections is the fourth film in the franchise, which began in 1999 with The Matrix, renowned at the time for its impressive action sequences and exciting storytelling. Resurrections released to both cinemas and home release via HBO Max last week, and so far has been met with mixed reviews.

Resurrections follows Thomas Anderson, more commonly known as Neo in The Matrix franchise, many years on from the previous films. Anderson is a video game developer who is well known for creating the game, The Matrix, which follows the main character Neo as he makes his way through the events of the last films. Anderson is contacted about making a sequel to the successful games, something he is hesitant to do. Meanwhile, Trinity, now named Tiffany, is married with children. Anderson believes he is struggling to differentiate what is and isn’t reality and sees a therapist to help him with this. His therapist prescribes him blue pills, further keeping him trapped within the Matrix. With the help of some familiar faces, Neo and Trinity learn once again how to break free from the Matrix and try to shut it down for good.

As Resurrections establishes the previous films as another form of media in The Matrix universe, there’s lots of room for humorous, meta jokes about the media industry and how it handles sequels, one of which made Warner Bros. particularly concerned. When Neo is approached to make a sequel to his popular games, it is the game studio’s parent company, called Warner Bros., who are demanding the sequel. In an interview with Gizmodo, co-writers David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon described the decision to include the joke as enticing “trepidation,“ but assured that any jokes about the company were made with “respect and affection.” Read their full comments below:

The Matrix Resurrections opens with the reveal that Thomas Anderson runs a big gaming company that made games, not movies, called The Matrix. And now its parent company, Warner Bros., wants a fourth game… which he does not want to do. The whole thing feels like a very obvious commentary on Wachowski’s personal feelings about making this movie, so we asked if it was specifically in regards to any trepidations or if Warner Bros. ever pushed back on being made fun of.

“Trepidation. I think that’s a fair word,” Mitchell said. “And the trepidation gets sublimated into Thomas Anderson’s general existential anxiety I think. [As for] any crapping [on Warner Bros.], this is done, of course, with respect and affection. In the most legal possible sense with respect and affection. But yeah, I think trepidation is a fair word. It was a big step.”

“It was,” Hemon added. “It’s also that David and I are just writers, and so I have never met anyone from Warner Bros. until these interviews were arranged.” (“Same here,” Mitchell interjected.) “So if there was there was pushback, we never heard of it. Lana protected us. But I also think they were so excited that Lana would make the movie that why would they push back? At that time, certainly. Maybe later. But anything, just make that movie.”

Many fans believed the joke to be a reference to the fact that Lily Wachowski, one-half of the directing duo who made the first three Matrix films, wasn’t interested in returning for another sequel. This left Lana Wachowski to direct Resurrections by herself.  Since the film’s release, new information has surfaced confirming that the studio had plans to create a Matrix sequel with or without Lana Wachowski. This has made way for much speculation that there may have been much more pushback with regards to making a fourth film than fans were made aware of.

Both Wachowski sisters have spoken openly about their decision surrounding Resurrections, with Lily stating that she didn’t want to move backward, and Lana explaining that the film helped her to grieve the death of her parents. While it appears all worked out for the best for them both individually, conversations in the early stages of production may have been difficult, especially if the sisters knew Warner Bros. planned to proceed with the film with or without them. The feeling of pressure and anxiety over creating a sequel to a much-loved franchise is a big part of Thomas Anderson, and in turn, is a big part of how Lana Wachowski must have been feeling when making The Matrix Resurrections. It makes sense that there would be some concern from Warner Bros. over how a joke like that may have made them come across, but given the context, it creates a very personal connection between Lana and Neo. It’s clear to see why Mitchell and Hemon may have wanted to write it into the film, and why Lana would have gone on to push to keep the line in the film. As for any future installments to the franchise, no confirmation of a fifth Matrix film has been made, and fans are yet to see how Warner Bros. will react to the film and its criticisms going forward.

Source: Gizmodo

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