The Matrix franchise has been a monumental success for Keanu Reeves and his team. It has defined his filmography record and has left an indelible mark on the fabric of American cinema. References and concepts from the film often get cited even today, which is a testament to the significance that this lucrative franchise holds in the popular imagination of audiences everywhere.

Major credit for the success behind these films goes to the director of the projects, the Wachowski sisters. However, something disturbing made Lilly Wachowski quit the fourth film in the franchise. It was expected that she would be helming the fourth film as well, as they had done a great job with the preceding installments. Nevertheless, an unforeseen predicament made her ditch the fourth film.

Lilly Wachowski Reveals Why She Didn’t Return For Keanu-Reeves-led Film The Matrix: Resurrections

The Matrix film director Lilly Wachowski

While Keanu Reeves’ presence and performance in each of The Matrix film sequels have helped boost the value of this beloved franchise, filmmaker Lilly Wachowski, who co-directed its first three sequels, has also played a significant role in making these sci-fi film series a monumental success.

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Wachowski once revealed why she didn’t return to direct the fourth installment in The Matrix film franchise. The outlet shared that in 2021, while she appeared on the Television Critics Association Summer Tour virtual panel for her Showtime series Work in Progress, the award-winning director shared why she was not involved in making The Matrix: Resurrections, saying,
“[Lana] had come up with this idea for another Matrix movie, and we had this talk, and it was actually—we started talking about it in between [our] dad dying and [our] mom dying, which was like five weeks apart. And there was something about the idea of going backward and being a part of something that I had done before that was expressly unappealing.”

The Matrix star, Keanu Reeves

She continued,
“And, like, I didn’t want to have gone through my transition and gone through this massive upheaval in my life, the sense of loss from my mom and dad, to want to go back to something that I had done before, and sort of [walk] over old paths that I had walked in, felt emotionally unfulfilling, and really the opposite—like I was going to go back and live in these old shoes, in a way. And I didn’t want to do that.”

Lilly Wachowski claimed she decided to move forward with her other creative endeavors. Therefore, she didn’t return to make that sequel at the time.

Keanu Reeves on Reprising His Role as Neo in The Matrix: Resurrections

Keanu Reeves as Neo

An actor par excellence, Keanu Reeves has charmed millions of fans with his over-the-top cinematic skills and memorable performances on the silver screen. Reeves has successfully led dozens of blockbuster projects and has been an integral part of several iconic franchises like The Matrix franchise, in which he played the fan-favorite character of Neo, a computer programmer.

The actor made his character debut starting with the 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix and then reprised his role in the follow-up sequels. In an interview with The New Indian Express, he opened up about what intrigued him to reprise his role for The Matrix Revolutions, saying, 
“I loved the script, and I love the character, and it was the chance to work with (director) Lana Wachowski again. It was also really exciting to be able to reprise a role after so much time and to discover how he and everyone else has changed. It was wonderful to be asked to come back, and it was a wonderful experience to make this film.”
The titular film has had an A-list cast ensemble featuring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci, and Jada Pinkett Smith. Despite the power-packed performances delivered by its cast, the film was a box office disaster, grossing only $159 million at the global box office against a budget of $190 million.

Source: The New Indian Express, Entertainment Weekly