Keanu Reeves' salary for The Matrix 4 has been revealed thanks to a new report on the highest paid stars of 2021. Following last year's Bill & Ted Face the Music, Reeves is continuing to revisit his beloved past characters with a trip back to The Matrix. Few details about the movie have been revealed, but Reeves will be joined by additional returning players like Carrie-Ann Moss and Jada Pinkett Smith. However, Laurence Fishburne is not expected to return as Morpheus. The Matrix 4 also boasts an impressive cast of newcomers, including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, and Neil Patrick Harris.
Currently, The Matrix 4 is slated for release in December of this year. It was once expected to open in May (on the same day as Reeves' John Wick 4, amusingly), but production delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic last year pushed the long-awaited movie back. The Matrix 4 is also among the 2021 Warner Bros. movies that will be made available on HBO Max the same day they arrive in theaters, which has altered the way Reeves will be paid.
On Wednesday, Variety published a report listing out Hollywood's highest-paid actors for the year 2021. It mentions that, for The Matrix 4, Reeves earned a total between $12 million and $14 million. Additionally, he's also entitled to earn back-end payment once the movie itself is released. That's certainly an impressive total, though it comes nowhere near the projected #1 actor: Daniel Craig, who is expected to earn over $100 million for the Knives Out sequels at Netflix.
Though the concept of box office stars have faded more and more with each passing year, there's no denying that Reeves remains a big draw when it comes to certain franchises. His star power helped build John Wick, and it's impossible to imagine a Matrix movie without him. In regards to that latter point, a $12 million-$14 million paycheck might actually seem rather small when considering it's for the franchise's returning lead. At the same time, the back-end payments will ensure he earns even more.
Right now, much of the intrigue surrounding The Matrix 4 has less to do with Reeves' earnings and more with everything else. Despite the movie supposedly being almost 4 months away, fans have yet to see anything resembling an official image or footage from the Lana Wachowski-directed project. Its full title isn't even clear, though some reports have said it's called The Matrix: Resurrections. It screened earlier this year for test audiences and received some intriguing responses, which only add to the overall anticipation. Reeves scored a nice paycheck for The Matrix 4, and now all that's left is for audiences to actually see it.
Source: Variety
