Development While making
The Matrix films,
the Wachowskis told their close collaborators that they, at the time, had no intention of making another film in the series after
The Matrix Revolutions (2003). Instead, they gave their blessing to the notion of
gamers "inherit[ing] the storyline" and
The Matrix Online (2005) video game was billed as the official continuation. Rumors of a new installment began to circulate online in 2011 when it was reported that the Wachowskis had been planning two additional films in the series and had discussions with
Keanu Reeves about reprising his role. Another rumor in 2014 claimed that the sisters had submitted a story treatment for a new
Matrix trilogy to
Warner Bros. These were later confirmed to be false. In February 2015, in interviews promoting
Jupiter Ascending (2015), Lilly Wachowski called a return to
The Matrix (1999) a "particularly repelling idea in these times" when studios preferred to green-light
sequels,
reboots, and adaptations over original material, while Lana Wachowski, addressing rumors about a potential reboot, said they had not heard anything but believed the studio might be looking to replace them. At various times, Reeves and
Hugo Weaving each confirmed their interest and willingness to reprise their roles in potential future installments of the
Matrix films, with the stipulation that the Wachowskis were involved in the creative and production process. According to producer
James McTeigue, there was "always talk" of a fourth
Matrix film within Warner Bros. even without the Wachowskis on board, though prior to 2019 they had not found the right concept. In March 2017,
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Warner Bros. was in the early stages of developing a relaunch of the franchise, with
Zak Penn in talks to write a treatment and interest in getting
Michael B. Jordan attached to star. The Wachowskis were not involved at that stage, although the studio had hoped for their blessing. The notion of a reboot or remake was denounced by Penn, and ideas for stories set in the already established universe were explored, including, reportedly, a
prequel film about a young
Morpheus or a sequel film from a descendant of his. In March 2018, Penn said he was working on a revival of the franchise and teased the possibility of an expanded universe. Penn clarified in October 2019 that he had been working on one of two
Matrix projects at Warner Bros., and that his work was separate from the planned film. Penn's film did not go ahead in favor of Wachowski's film;
Jada Pinkett Smith later reflected that handing the franchise's legacy to other filmmakers would have been a "horrendous mistake". The Wachowskis also previously directed the
2012 film adaptation of Mitchell's novel
Cloud Atlas (2004). Lilly Wachowski was not involved with the film due to work on the
Showtime series
Work in Progress (2019–2021), but gave her blessing to those involved to come up with a story even "better than the original". She said she needed time away from the industry to "reconnect with myself as an artist and I did that by going back to school and painting and stuff", and that she had been affected by the death of her parents.
John Toll was hired as cinematographer that month. Toll was cinematographer on the Wachowskis' previous films
Cloud Atlas and
Jupiter Ascending, as well as every episode of
Sense8.
Casting Reeves and Moss were confirmed to be reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity upon the film's announcement in August 2019. Following the first trailer's release, Abdul-Mateen II confirmed that he was indeed playing the role of Morpheus. Fishburne later stated in April 2025 that he "offered his services" to reprise his role but the filmmakers did not "respond well" to his offer. Pinkett Smith entered negotiations to reprise her role as
Niobe, with
Jessica Henwick entering negotiations to join in an undisclosed role, later revealed as Bugs. Pinkett-Smith was convinced to return after learning from Wachowski how much the film meant for her. They went through a "couple different versions" for Niobe until they settled to depict the character in an elderly form. In January 2020,
Eréndira Ibarra was cast, with
Priyanka Chopra entering final negotiations. That same month,
Lambert Wilson, who played the Merovingian in the sequels, revealed he was in negotiations to return. Hugo Weaving, who starred in the franchise as
Agent Smith, was originally approached to reprise his role, but he had scheduling conflicts with his involvement in
Tony Kushner's theatrical adaptation of
The Visit, leading Wachowski to conclude that the dates would not work after staying in touch with Weaving for a while. Weaving was later confirmed to be appearing in the film, but through archive footage from the original trilogy, while Groff was confirmed to have been cast as Smith in December 2021, replacing Weaving. Chopra and Wilson's castings were confirmed in February 2020, along with the additions of
Andrew Caldwell,
Brian J. Smith and
Ellen Hollman. After some speculation, Chopra was revealed to be playing Sati in the film; the character was previously portrayed by Tanveer K. Atwal in
Revolutions. In September 2020, it was announced
Daniel Bernhardt was reprising his role as Agent Johnson from
The Matrix Reloaded (2003).
Telma Hopkins was also announced to be part of the cast in September 2021.
Filming and
Carrie-Anne Moss film a motorcycle scene in the
Financial District of San Francisco under the direction of
Lana Wachowski. Unlike the previous films, which were shot predominantly in Australia,
The Matrix Resurrections was filmed in the United States and Europe. Under the code name "Project Ice Cream", the film began production in San Francisco on February 4, 2020. Filming also took place in Chicago. As in the case of other productions like
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and
Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the producers had to pay $420,000 to the
San Francisco Police Department so they could film in the city. As opposed to other productions, no
second unit was needed during the action sequences as Wachowski directed all the scenes herself. Scott Rogers, a
stunt performer who worked with Reeves in
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), was hired to be the film's stunt coordinator. On March 16, 2020, production on the film was suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. After filming was
halted, Wachowski contemplated the possibility of never finishing the film and letting it "go down as an incomplete legendary film not meant to be seen by anyone". However, the cast insisted Wachowski return and finish the film until she agreed. On August 16, 2020, Reeves confirmed filming had resumed in Berlin. Principal photography wrapped on November 11, 2020. Wachowski's long-time camera operator, Daniele Massaccesi, took over as
director of photography in the latter part of filming after original DoP
John Toll left due to a health issue in his family. The dialogue editing, sound mixing, sound design and sound editing with director Lana Wachowski took place in spring 2021 at the Babelsberg-based post-production company
Rotor Film. Visual effects that allow space and time to appear offset on the screen were created with camera systems specially developed for
Matrix Resurrections during outdoor shooting and in the volumetric studio called Volucap in Babelsberg as well as in the world's first volumetric underwater studio on the Babelsberg film studio premises. Volucap, a cooperation between Studio Babelsberg,
Fraunhofer Society and
UFA, worked on site for two years on
Matrix Resurrections. After finishing work on
Matrix Resurrections, the co-producing Studio Babelsberg fitted its largest film studio (Stage 20) with rainbow colors and named it "Rainbow Stage" in honor of the
Wachowskis. The Wachowskis, known for their commitment to people of diverse sexual orientations and identities, had previously directed several times in Babelsberg including, e.g.,
V for Vendetta (2006) and
Cloud Atlas (2012). replacing
Don Davis, who composed the score for the first three films. The 1967 song "
White Rabbit" by
Jefferson Airplane is prominently featured in the trailer and film. Wachowski said the choice of "White Rabbit" for the trailer not only was in reference to elements of
Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that The Matrix
had previously used and which "White Rabbit" is based on, but also a nod to Jefferson Airplane themselves which was formed as a house band for The Matrix club in San Francisco. The second trailer featured an electronic/orchestral cover of the Rage Against the Machine song "Wake Up" by Sebastian Böhm. The original song featured prominently at the end of the first Matrix
film, and Resurrections'' features in its ending a cover by
Brass Against. The film's
score was released on December 17, 2021. A track from the album titled "Neo and Trinity Theme (Johnny Klimek & Tom Tykwer Exomorph Remix)" was released as a single on December 10. ==Marketing==