According to Chad Stahelski, The Matrix 4 was only four weeks into filming before its production shut-down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The long-awaited sequel was one of many movies in the midst of shooting when the COVID-19 outbreak took a turn for the worse in March, forcing them to halt until further notice. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity in the movie (despite the characters' deaths in 2003's The Matrix Revolutions), with franchise co-creator Lana Wachowski directing solo this time. For now, plot details are being kept firmly under lock and key.
While it's tentatively scheduled to arrive in May 2021, there's a strong chance Warner Bros. will end up delaying The Matrix 4 to accommodate the break in shooting. The studio has already made a handful of changes to its slate for 2021-2022 in response to the pandemic, including pushing The Batman back from its previous spot in June 2021 to the following October. Now, based on an update from one of the movie's key creatives, it seems all the more likely the new Matrix installment will eventually have to move too.
Stunt expert-turned John Wick director Stahelski, who worked on the original Matrix trilogy, recently confirmed his involved with The Matrix 4 in an interview with Collider. As part of the same discussion, he revealed the latter was "only four weeks in" when the pandemic forced it to halt shooting.
Originally, the plan was for Reeves to finish shooting his scenes for The Matrix 4, then immediately reunite with Stahelski to start production on John Wick 4. The two movies were even scheduled to open on the same day in May 2021, much to everyone's confusion (and excitement). Of course, it's safe to say that's no longer going to happen. In fact, it sounds like The Matrix 4 wasn't all that further along in filming than The Batman was when it too shut-down last month. Still, due to the effects-heavy nature of The Matrix franchise, it's possible Wachowski and her team have been able to continue virtual production throughout the lock-down, similar to what Avatar 2 is currently doing. If so, it may not have to shift away too far from its current spot (emphasis on "may").
Whatever happens with The Matrix 4, John Wick 4 will almost definitely have to move back to accommodate Reeves. Indeed, many of the tentpoles previously scheduled for 2021 (like Jurassic World: Dominion and Fantastic Beasts 3) will inevitably have to be postponed as a result of their productions either being shut-down or delayed by the ongoing health crisis. If anything, that should actually be to the industry's benefit. At this point, 2021 is overflowing with potential blockbusters, including all the 2020 tentpoles delayed by the coronavirus. By spacing things out a little, Hollywood studios can avoid cannibalizing their own movies at the box office, while at the same time giving projects like The Matrix 4 the space they need to finish without rushing to their doom.
Source: Collider
