The Matrix 4 Is The Latest Film Affected By The Coronavirus
Hold your horses, Neo.
In just the latest instance of a major Hollywood production pressing pause due to the worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, the as-yet untitled Matrix 4 postponed its planned shoot in Berlin just as it was gearing up to begin (via The Hollywood Reporter). It's the third high-profile release from studio Warner Bros. to see its shoot put on hold today, as the latest Fantastic Beasts installment and The Batman both put on the brakes.
The move doesn't come as a huge shock, since it seems as if pretty much the entirety of the world is coming to grips with the fact that we're all going to have to cool our jets for awhile if the rapid spread of the virus is to be contained. With a multitude of productions having already been halted, release dates for upcoming movies being pushed back en masse, and widespread talk of movie theaters simply closing their doors until the pandemic is under control, Warner Bros.' announcement that Neo and company will be benched for a bit could be seen as a mere formality at this point.
There's no word as to how long the shoot might potentially be on hold, or if the cast and crew will be returning to U.S. during the hiatus. The Berlin shoot will complete principal photography on Matrix 4; stateside photography, including an extensive bit of filming on location in San Francisco, has already been wrapped up.
Will The Matrix 4 have its release delayed because of the pandemic?
Speaking of release date delays, it's worth asking if Matrix 4's pause in production might cause it to be pushed back Of course, it's too early to know this for sure; the movie isn't slated to drop until May 21, 2021, and we don't even know how long its shoot will be shut down for.
Assuming that the combined couch-sitting powers of the world will be enough to significantly slow the spread of coronavirus over the next month or so, however, we're going to go out on a limb and say that Matrix 4's planned release date is looking pretty safe at this point. Like we mentioned, the vast majority of the shoot is already in the can; it's conceivable that director Lana Wachowski and/or the flick's editors and VFX crew could simply use the stoppage to get a head start on post-production.
Obviously, if the coronavirus proves to be a tougher foe to tamp down than a gaggle Agent Smiths, it's possible that Matrix 4 — along with the other movies Warner Bros. has paused, which are also due to drop in 2021 — could be pushed back. For now, we'll just have to wait to see how effectively the pandemic can be brought under control — an endeavor which it certainly seems like Hollywood, the world's governments, and the general public are taking pretty damn seriously.
We'll keep an eye out for any important developments regarding Matrix 4 (and every high profile film and television project affected by the coronavirus), and we'll be sure to keep you up to speed.