Warner Bros. has moved the release date for The Matrix 4 up four months, with the Keanu Reeves-led sequel now arriving in theaters in December 2021. Twenty years after the franchise began, fans of The Matrix were surprised to learn in 2019 that a new film was officially in the works that would feature the return of Reeves as Neo. The continuation of the franchise is written and directed by Lana Wachowski, who co-directed the original trilogy of films.

After a relatively quick development cycle, The Matrix 4 began production in early 2020 with plans to arrive in theaters in 2021. However, the coronavirus pandemic forced filming to stop and saw Warner Bros. delay the movie to 2022. Fans had since grown to accept that The Matrix 4 wouldn't arrive until then and that the return of Neo and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) would have to wait. Filming recently was able to resume on the movie though, and now WB has decided to move the release back to 2021.

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As part of a wide-spread shake-up to the studio's release slate, Warner Bros. has moved The Matrix 4 up to December 22, 2021. The movie was previously set to hit theaters on April 1, 2022. While this is earlier than recently expected, The Matrix 4 will still arrive seven months after the original May 2021 release date.

The Matrix 4's new date is just one piece of a brand new slate for WB for the next few years. While many movies now have different release dates, Matrix 4's new landing spot is where Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam was supposed to come out. The upcoming DC movie now does not have a release date at all. It isn't clear if this was done because Matrix 4 is progressing faster than anticipated and will be ready by next December or because Black Adam is taking longer than planned - or maybe a bit of both.

In any case, WB's decision to move Matrix 4 up is a rare move in the current Hollywood climate, and a welcomed one at that. Many will understandably be disappointed to see major movies like The Batman delayed until 2022, at least WB is cushioning the blow by pushing Matrix 4 up. That doesn't mean that this is a perfect decision, though, as Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 is among the major blockbuster titles that Matrix 4 will now have to compete against. The good news for The Matrix 4 and any other December 2021 releases is that the Christmas season has become a lucrative few weeks at the box office in recent years, so multiple films could thrive in this release window if theaters are back to full strength by late next year.

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Source: Warner Bros.

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