The film franchise of Matrix has left a dent mark on both cinema and culture, impacting the audience through reality, identity, and free will.

Alongside with other films like Inception, Dark City, and Blade Runner, The Matrix has mounted its place on zeitgeist, which was driven by the iconic performances of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.

The original Matrix film premiered in 1999, which revolutionized the world by its groundbreaking ideas and terminology.

These concepts such as the 'Red Pill and Blue Pill' and the phrase 'a glitch in the matrix' became part of everyday lexicon, reflecting the film's success in engaging its audience in a mind-bending exploration of philosophical themes.

A hallmark of the franchise is its ability to immerse viewers directly into its complex world without ever resorting to preaching.

In addition to its philosophical complexity, The Matrix transformed modern filmmaking through its pioneering “bullet time” effect and highly stylized action sequences.

These innovations went on to shape numerous later films, including John Wick and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Its striking visual identity has marked by flowing trench coats, dark sunglasses, and a distinctive green-tinted digital world which set it apart within the cyberpunk genre and solidified its lasting cultural impact.

The revival of the franchise in 2021 withThe Matrix: Resurrections sparked tremendous excitement, particularly due to the return of original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.

The fans anticipated another groundbreaking, mind-bending chapter in the saga.

However, the film received mixed responses, while some praised its bold meta-commentary, and others criticized it as an underwhelming continuation.

With a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the sequel ultimately underperformed at the box office, grossing $160.2 million worldwide and falling short of recovering its production costs.

Despite the performance, Warner Bros. announced a fifth installment, 'The Matrix 5,' in 2024.

Drew Goddard is known for his work on sci-fi and action films such as The Martian, Cloverfield, and World War Z, which serve as both a writer and director for the new project.

This news was met with expectation, given by his relevant expertise but updates have been limited since the initial announcement.

He recently confirmed to ScreenRant that the fifth installment is 'still in the works.'

He cautiously added, '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,' indicating that the development is ongoing.

Fans can currently explore the existing Matrix franchise on HBO Max.