News of Matrix reboot, possibly with different directors, causes storm on social media

A reboot of The Matrix is said to be in the works, but many fans would rather see Warner Bros choose a different pill.

The Hollywood Reporter says that Warner Bros is developing a relaunch of the 1999 film, which spawned two far less beloved sequels. Any new Matrix film is in such an early stage that it may – like countless other projects in development – never amount to anything. Warner Bros has declined to share any details of its plans.

But the report was enough to stoke a backlash on social media over any tampering with the Wachowskis’ trench-coated, slow-motion bullet science-fiction creation. Reboots, you may have noticed, are common in Hollywood these days. And while rehashing old favourites often causes consternation among fans, the possibility of a new Matrix film touched a nerve.

On one hand, the dystopian vision of The Matrix, about a rebellion against machine-controlled rule, would seem ideal for today. After all, many have recently suggested the world has tipped into a simulated reality of its own.

Also, wounded fan feelings have been known to soften under the right conditions. Get the right talent involved, secure the necessary blessings, talk about “mining” the story’s boundless “universe” and you could – come opening weekend – have a Matrix version of the The Force Awakens on your hands.

But there’s also reason to believe filmgoers are increasingly saying no to cash-grab reboots. The reasons for their demise were various, but last summer was a graveyard of underwhelming redos, including Alice Through the Looking Glass , Independence Day: Resurgence and Ghostbusters .

Still, remakes and sequels remain, overwhelmingly, the biggest box-office hits. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast , another refashioned ’90s fairy tale, is expected to open with more than US$130 million in ticket sales this weekend and may ultimately gross US$1 billion worldwide.