ABOVE: Lana Wachowski. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Lana Wachowski will direct the fourth installment of “The Matrix ” films series with the original stars, Keanu Reeves (Neo) and Carrie-Ann Moss (Trinity), Variety reports. The filmmaker could become the first transgender director to helm a blockbuster film.
Lana and her sister, Lilly Wachowski, co-wrote and directed “The Matrix” trilogy which released its first film in 1999. The trilogy earned $1.6 billion globally, according to Variety.
“Many of the ideas Lilly and I explored 20 years ago about our reality are even more relevant now. I’m very happy to have these characters back in my life and grateful for another chance to work with my brilliant friends,” Lana said in a statement to Variety.
Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich praised Lana in a statement saying, “We could not be more excited to be re-entering ‘The Matrix’ with Lana. Lana is a true visionary — a singular and original creative filmmaker — and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing and producing this new chapter in ‘The Matrix’ universe.”
It doesn’t appear that Lilly will be involved in the upcoming sequel.
“The Matrix 4” is based on a screenplay Lana co-wrote with Aleksander Hemon and David Mitchell. Production is expected to begin early next year.
The Wachowski siblings, who are both transgender, directed the 1996 lesbian mystery film “Bound” together. They also created the sci-fi Netflix series “Sense8.”
