Warner Bros to make a follow-up of 'The Matrix'

Ever since the Hollywood Reporter disclosed a week ago that Warner Bros is embarking on a follow-up to the 'Matrix', the media has been awash with all manner of details about the new film.

The Wachowskis approached Warner with the idea of the 'Matrix' and Warner balked at the budget they had submitted, which was over $80 million. Warner instead agreed to give them $10 million. The Wachowskis took the money and filmed the first ten minutes of the movie (the opening scene with Carrie-Anne Moss) using the entire $10 million. They then showed the executives at Warner the opening scene. They were impressed and green-lit the original asking budget

One of the hottest debates which are raging about the new film is whether it's a reboot of the 1999 film or a prequel to it or just a continuation of the 'Matrix' line. A section of persons has come out to say it's a prequel whereas others are insisting on it being a reboot.

Is the new 'Matrix' film a reboot?

If the words of the film's screenwriter Zak Penn are to go by, the upcoming film is not in any way a reboot. Zack tweeted in response to the speculations surrounding Warner Bros' new movie. To paraphrase his tweet, he said that no one could or should reboot the 'Matrix' at this given point. He went ahead and added that those familiar with Animatrix and the series comics understood what he meant.

Well, going by Penn's statement, you can decipher that the new film's team is either interested in continuing or expanding the Matrix franchise.

What could the Matrix bring if expanded to a new territory

Some sources believe that Warner Bros is keen on exploring expanded concepts in its upcoming 'Matrix' film. It is suggested that they will explore the concept of Virtual Reality even deeper and portray a dystopian world where machines endeavor to rival real human activities and everyday existence.

The idea for the movie was created when The Wachowskis were thinking for some new story for a comic book series. They wrote the entire script before their first directorial venture 'Bound' (1996) and worked on it up until the time of production

If you've been following the Matrix trilogy then you're familiar with core character Neo who has his sights set on coming against the sentient machines in his world. Neo's world, in this case, is a simulated world that the computer programmer gets to learn little by little about.

The film as a prequel

According to well-known film news sources among others, the upcoming 'Matrix' film is a prequel to the 1999 opening film and it revolves around young Morpheus. Morpheus is known in the 'Matrix' trilogy for his role as a mentor and his stoic and witty character. He has been played in past films by 'Man Of Steel' and' Batman vs Superman' actor Laurence Fishburne.

All scenes that take place within the 'Matrix' have a green tint, as if watching them through a computer monitor, while scenes in the real world have a blue tint, blue was also used at a minimum in the matrix scenes since the directors thought blue was more of a real world color despite. The fight scene between Morpheus and Neo, which is neither in the real world nor in the Matrix, is tinted yellow

Who will portray young Morpheus?

The movie blogosphere is rife with talks concerning which actor, in particular, is going to be cast for the young Morpheus role. Ranking top on the list of possible candidates is Michael B. Jordan. The American actor is best known for his role as a teenage drug dealer Wallace in 'The Wire' and also for starring in the 2015 film 'Creed'.

Aside from Jordan, there are also other actors who are being touted for the young Morpheus role. These include Miles Teller, Diego Luna, Sebastian Stan, Jon Foo, Trevante Rhodes, Donald Glover, Iko Uwais, Casey Affleck, John Boyega, Dane DeHaan, Tom Hiddleston, and Riz Ahmed. There are also suggestions that the Morpheus role could be reincarnated as a female role according to the Matrix lore. Should these be the case, actresses Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kristen Stewart are deemed as potential cast for the role.

All the same, any of the aforementioned film stars can be able to take up the role of a young Morpheus. They are all distinguished film stars in their right who can perfectly bring out a lead role such as that of young Morpheus.

Absence of the Wachowskis

Fans of the 'Matrix' franchise are in for some changes. One of these concern's the movie's crew. Fans will especially miss having the Wachowskis' hands in the new film as they will not be directing it as they've previously done. The upcoming film is expected to have a largely new crew. This means that the new story could turn out quite different from the Matrix stories fans have been used to.

It's also not very clear whether the new movie will retain previous leading casts such as Neo and Agent Smith.

About the 1999 'Matrix' film

The 1999 'Matrix' film experienced an unexpected success. It became the fourth highest grossing film of 1999. It also revolutionized the action and sci-fi cinematic world through a unique set of special effects and visuals. The 1999 movie starred Keanu Reeves in the key role of Neo. It has remained very popular with fans to date.

Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer and Will Smith were approached to play Neo, but they turned down the offer