Neo and Trinity first found each other in 1999’s The Matrix, and their love would later help Neo refuse to bow to the Architect’s destiny in The Matrix Reloaded.
More than two decades later, The Matrix Resurrections is taking audiences back into this familiar world. Somehow, Neo lives again, even though he sure looks a lot like John Wick now. And maybe more importantly, Neo is once again calling himself Thomas Anderson, the name he used in The Matrix when he didn’t realize who and what he was.
In the newly released trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, Neo has glimpses of his former life. But he’s unsure what’s real, and what isn’t.
Fortunately, Neo isn’t the only one who is back. The trailer reveals that Trinity has reentered Neo’s life, even though she doesn’t seem to remember her past, either. Once the two lovebirds are back together, though, their reality is about to get a lot more interesting.
Franchise fans know that Trinity perished in The Matrix Revolutions, shortly before Neo sacrificed himself to stop the renegade program, Smith, from remaking the entire Matrix in his image. In that film, Neo’s death gave humanity the chance for a peaceful resolution with the machines.
The trailer doesn’t tell us how Neo and Trinity came back to life, nor does it reveal why they’ve returned. But it should be noted that the machines had custody of Neo’s body when he died.
Beyond getting an answer to those questions, the trailer suggests fans should get ready for another round of trippy action and fantastic visuals, courtesy of returning director, Lana Wachowski. (Her sister, Lilly Wachowski, opted not to return to the franchise that they co-created.)
There are some other familiar faces behind the scenes on Resurrections: John Wick directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Both Stahelski and Leitch worked on the original Matrix trilogy, so this is a homecoming for them as well.
Of course, it wouldn’t be The Matrix without Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back as Neo and Trinity, respectively. They will be joined by returning cast members Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe, Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian, and Daniel Bernhardt as Agent Johnson.
Among the new cast members, the trailer shows us that Neil Patrick Harris is playing Neo’s therapist. But for the most part, we’re still in the dark about the new generation, though we strongly suspect that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is either connected to Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne in the trilogy), or perhaps a new incarnation of Morpheus himself.
Jessica Henwick also co-stars in the film alongside Jonathan Groff, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Brian J. Smith, Eréndira Ibarra, Andrew Caldwell, and Ellen Hollman.
The Matrix Resurrections will hit theaters and HBO Max on December 22.
