THE MATRIX 5 is Still in the Works as Director Drew Goddard Breaks Two-Year Silence

It’s been two years since we last heard anything substantial about The Matrix 5, and for a while there, fans were starting to wonder if the project had slipped back into the digital void.

Now, we finally have a real update straight from director Drew Goddard, and it’s an encouraging one. The next chapter in the legendary sci-fi franchise is still alive and moving forward.

After the cyberpunk universe was revived with The Matrix Resurrections in 2021, the results were… mixed and complicated. The film pulled in $160 million worldwide against a reported $190 million budget.

It wasn’t exactly the triumphant return Warner Bros. hoped for. Still, the studio didn’t unplug the franchise. Instead, in 2024, they officially announced a fifth installment with Goddard set to write and direct.

Since then, things have been pretty quiet. But in a recent interview with ScreenRant for Project Hail Mary, Goddard offered a simple but reassuring update:

He says that it’s "still in the works. I'm in my writing cave writing. I don't know how long I'll be in that writing cave, but whenever I come out, I'll have news to share."

So yes, the code is still compiling. When the film was first announced, Warner Bros. executive Jesse Ehrman said the new story "will advance the fantasy world without straying too far from what made the series a success."

It’s a tricky balance because fans want something fresh, but they also don’t want the core DNA of the franchise rewritten.

At the moment, there’s no production schedule and no release window. Everything hinges on the script. Once that’s locked in and approved, the real momentum can start.

One major shift this time around is that this will be the first Matrix film without either of the Wachowski’s directing. They created the franchise and steered the original trilogy, with Lana Wachowski returning solo for The Matrix Resurrections. For this new installment, Lana will serve as an executive producer, but the creative reins are now in Goddard’s hands.

During the past couple of years, Goddard focused on several projects, including the upcoming Project Hail Mary, based on the novel by Andy Weir and starring Ryan Gosling, which hits theaters on March 20, 2026. He also created ABC’s High Potential and was reportedly recruited by James Gunn to join the DC Universe writers’ room after Gunn took over as co-boss of DC Studios.

Looking back, the original trilogy set a massive bar. The Matrix earned $467 million worldwide. The Matrix Reloaded pulled in a franchise-high $741 million. The Matrix Revolutions followed with $427 million in 2003.

While Revolutions saw a dip, the Wachowskis always envisioned the story as a trilogy. Warner Bros. spent nearly two decades trying to spark another installment before Lana Wachowski finally returned.

Now the big question: who’s coming back? There’s no confirmed casting yet, but Keanu Reeves has previously said he’d return as Neo as long as Lana Wachowski invited him. Given his loyalty to the franchise, that door certainly isn’t closed.

Laurence Fishburne, who played Morpheus in the original trilogy, is more measured. His character was reimagined in Resurrections as an AI program played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

When Fishburne was asked about The Matrix 5, he explained that his return would depend on several factors, including "who is involved," "how well the script has been written." He also made it clear he’d need to actually be offered the role. Fishburne previously volunteered to return for the 2021 film but said production "didn't respond well to that."

There’s also a looming wildcard in the mix. The Warner Bros. and Paramount acquisition deal could potentially affect the franchise’s future. For now, there’s no indication of disruption, but until corporate dust settles, it’s another variable in play.

Now we wait for Goddard to emerge from that writing cave with something worth jacking back in for.