March 14, 2017
THE MATRIX Reboot in the Works at Warner Bros., Michael B. Jordan Eyed to Star
It’s still not clear what shape the project will take, but sources tell
THR that Warner Bros. is in the early stages of developing a relaunch of
The Matrix, the iconic 1999 sci-fi movie that is considered one of the most original films in cinematic history, with Zak Penn in talks to write a treatment.
Sources say there is potential interest in Michael B. Jordan to star, but much must be done before the project is ready to go.
At this point, the Wachowski siblings, who wrote and directed the original and its two sequels, are not involved and the nature of their potential engagement with a new version has not been determined. Certainly, Warners would want the two filmmakers to give at minimum a blessing to the nascent project. Warners had no comment.
Joel Silver, who produced the original trilogy, is said to have approached Warners about the idea of mining
The Matrix for a potential new movie. However, Silver sold his interest in all his movies to the studio in 2012 for about $30 million, according to sources. The studio is said to be leery of including him in any meaningful role, as he not only has a reputation for budget-control issues, but apparently has a strained relationship with the Wachowskis. The siblings hold much more meaning for fans than the producer.
While some in Warners consider the title among the studio’s sacrosanct properties, such as
Casablanca, others see a need to redevelop it in an environment where studios are desperately looking for ways to monetize their libraries and branded IP is hard to come by.
The idea of adapting
The Matrix as a television series was nixed in recent months. But Warners see a model in what Disney and Lucasfilm have done with
Star Wars, exploring the hidden corners of the universe with movies such as
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or the in-production young Han Solo film. Perhaps a young Morpheus movie could come out of the exploration, as an example.
Penn is a writer with deep roots in the geeky genres in which
Matrix travels. He created the Syfy network’s super-powered show
Alphas and has been involved in comic book movies ranging from the
X-Men franchise to
The Avengers.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/matrix-reboot-works-at-warner-bros-986292
Me too.
