It turns out that one scene in The Matrix Resurrections was based on something that happened in real life. It appears that The Matrix 4 was going to be made by Warner Bros. even if Lana Wachowski didn't volunteer to work on the project. It appears that while she did agree to help write The Matrix Resurrections, there was a bit of anger over the way that Warner Bros. handled the situation.
In the movie, Neo, who has gone back to being known as Thomas Anderson, is a game developer. Having had quite a bit of success making The Matrix video game, he's in fact considered the top video game developer in the world.
However, it turns out that even someone with the reputation of Neo in the movie's world can be led to heel by the right people. In sitting down with the man he believes to be his business partner, he's told that Warner Bros. is going to make another The Matrix game. Further, he's told that the company is going to make the game whether he agrees to contribute to its development or not. That scene, especially the mention of Warner Bros. seemed to be Lana Wachowski's little autobiographical touch and it turns out it was indeed based on real life.
In a recent interview with Collider, The Matrix Resurrections producer James McTeigue admitted that the WB had plans to hire a different director for the film in the beginning. McTeigue said that the "money making possibilities" of a Matrix 4 meant that there was always a chance the film would be made. However, in one difference from the scene in the movie, Lana Wachowski apparently "leaped" at the chance to take part in Resurrections and the other director ended up not being used after all.
In explaining why money was the driving factor in making a fourth Matrix film, the producer pointed at what the MCU has done. Specifically, he pointed to the money that the Spider-Man franchises have been able to make. McTeigue also spilled the beans on one detail that Wachowski denied during the opening. While the director said the new film wasn't the start of a new Matrix trilogy, it turns out that the WB wants to at least make a fifth film and wants her on board again.
Since the movie launched, the reception from fans and critics alike has been mixed. That doesn't appear to have derailed Warner Bros. plans to make at least one more film in the franchise.
The Matrix Resurrections is now playing in theaters and on HBO Max.
Source: Collider