Back in March rumors emerged that Warner Bros had hired “X-Men: The Last Stand’s” Zak Penn to write a treatment for a new set of “Matrix” films, which would potentially star Michael B. Jordan.
At the time of these reports it was insisted that there was much to do before these films actually became a reality. Penn himself even took to Twitter to declare that the films wouldn’t be a “reboot” or a “remake,” before adding, “Do I want to see more stories set in the universe of ‘The Matrix’? Yes. Because it’s a brilliant idea that generates great stories.”
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to speak to Laurence Fishburne, who played Morpheus in the original “Matrix” trilogy, regarding his upcoming film “Last Flag Flying.” During our discussion I quizzed the actor on the potential new “Matrix” films, and the 56-year-old was quick to label these rumors as false.
After I asked Fishburne what he had heard about the expansion of the franchise, the actor responded, “I haven’t heard anything that I would believe is true.”
Fishburne then let out a hearty, contagious laugh, before I then asked, “How would you feel about it if it happened?”
This only provoked Laurence Fishburne to double down on his original answer, though, as he responded, “When I hear something that means that that’s really true then I will talk about it, but not before then.”
Clearly, Fishburne is keeping his cards very close to his chest. Released in 1999, “The Matrix” quickly became one of the highest grossing films of the year, and as well as revolutionizing the sci-fi and action genres, especially in its use of special effects, it also won four Academy Awards. The success of “The Matrix” spawned two sequels, 2003’s “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions,” and while they didn’t quite match the critical acclaim of the original, they did gross $1.169 billion at the box office.
Considering that “The Matrix” franchise has generated over $3 billion in revenue for Warner Bros since the release of the original it is unsurprising that the studio are interested in bringing it to a modern audience. It just sounds as though they’ll have to win over Laurence Fishburne first.
Those of you looking to see Laurence Fishburne in action again can do just that when “Last Flag Flying” is released on November 3.
