The Matrix: 7 Directors Who Could Justify A Reboot

A look at 7 directors who could re-enter The Matrix.

By Mario-Francisco Robles

The WB is going to make a movie nobody seems to want, and yet if one of these directors were to enter The Matrix, we think you’d free your mind.

On Monday, news broke that Warner Bros. was going to reboot The Matrix. The overwhelming response? “Why?!”

Here are the directors we think would be up to that task (and we saved the best for last!):

When The Matrix arrived in 1999, it was a jaw-dropping achievement that instantly gave way to a cultural movement. Audiences everywhere gravitated towards the film’s unique blend of mind-bending action and thought-provoking science fiction.

I was 15 when I saw The Matrix, and I’ll never forget the feeling that overcame me as the end credits began to roll. It was that “I just witnessed something really special” feeling that few movies have the power to give you. My father and I discussed as we left the theater, how the film’s “Free Your Mind” mantra could be to this generation what “Use The Force” was for the previous one. The idea of a work of pure fiction and entertainment that could also challenge you to look at the world around you differently was exhilarating.

Then the sequels came out.

Something unfortunate happened to the first film and the follow-ups, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions - which were shot concurrently. Those sequels lost the humanity of the first Matrix. Neo, as played by Keanu Reeves, stopped being the relatable everyman and transformed into an invulnerable, massively overpowered piece of kung fu cardboard. The Wachowskis, who wrote and directed all three films, allowed Style to completely strangle Substance. The movies stopped asking us to free our minds and break the chains that we allow those in power to put around our necks, and instead asked us to stare at one overblown, monochromatic action sequence after another.

It was a pity, then, to see Revolutions in 2003 and realize that all of the storytelling potential of the 1999 original had been squandered. That’s what makes this The Matrix reboot so exciting.

Yes, you read that correctly. I just referred to this week’s news as exciting!

In the right hands, a Matrix reboot can be all the things those sequels weren’t. With the right filmmaker at the helm, we could have our cake and eat it, too. That’s why today we’re going to look at who should not only direct The Matrix but could actually justify the very existence of this seemingly “unnecessary” reboot.

While compiling this list, we drew from filmmakers who have demonstrated strengths in the following areas: World-Building, Thought-Provoking Science Fiction, Kickass Action, and An Emphasis on Characters Over Spectacle.

In an era where everyone is “plugged-in,” via smart devices and an endless array of mindless distractions, and where the gap between the powers-that-be and the rest of us has never been wider, the new Matrix should be a timely, mind-bending experience.

Who do you think should direct The Matrix? Should it be a total reboot or more of a relaunch that acknowledges the original films in some way?

Mario-Francisco Robles (MFR) is a writer, podcaster, and YouTuber who’s specialized in fanboy topics since 2013. You should follow him on Twitter @I_AM_MFR, since he loves interacting with his readers.

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