Reboot: Could A Matrix Prequel Redeem The Series?
After re-watching The Matrix, I’ve been pondering a Matrix prequel for about the past week (not the straight-to-DVD The Animatrix either, which was but a taste). Matter of fact, a Matrix prequel could end up being the best installment in the series. After the sequels, the Matrix franchise doesn’t need to be reloaded or any revelations — it needs to be redeemed. The way to do this is to go back to the beginning, long before Ted Logan borrowed Rufus’ trenchcoat and became the one. A Matrix prequel could end up being one of the best prequel/reboots of all time. Seeing how the human resistance originated is a story I think all of us fans would like to see.
Here is why and how a Matrix prequel could work…
The Keanu/Neo Factor
Keanu Reeves. He didn’t hold back the original, but he was in the Luke Skywalker role. In a lot of ways, it is one of the easier roles in the film. All he had to be was the doe in the woods for about 75% of the film, and then as it reached its climax he turned into a confident and willing hero. Sure, his role had an arc, but it didn’t have a lot of depth or emotion. Morpheus, Trinity, Cypher, hell, even Agent Smith were all so much more invested in the war that was taking place, regardless of which side they were on. By the time Neo realized what war he was in, its stakes and who he might be, he was already at the Oracle’s crib with a decision to make. He seemed too shocked to truly digest anything and then — boom! — he was called to action. As for that decision, that wasn’t even all that heartfelt. He didn’t have any time to even struggle with it, and deep down I think we all knew he wasn’t going to actually sacrifice himself, despite his efforts. The protagonist role and the actor playing said protagonist could both be stronger in a prequel.
The Storyline
As for the plot, it was pretty incredible. But we joined the fight pretty late in the game. I’m sure the earlier struggles of Zion and its founders were far more difficult. We enter this world as Morpheus and his fellow Zionites are on the verge of finally being able to go to war with the agents of the Matrix, instead of always running from them. What’s cool is that we discover the Matrix and what is possible as Neo does, we make that journey with him. But wouldn’t it be cooler to see that actual discovery? That would be much more compelling. Also, the sequels got tripped up completely lost in philosophy and the increasingly blurred line between what was real and what was the Matrix. The sequels were a clunky mix of exposition and redonkulous action sequences (Which sometimes the technology couldn’t keep up with. For instance, the Neo vs. the Smiths battle in The Matrix Reloaded. That looked video-gamish, and not in a good way). All the incoherent, overthunk exposition really kind of unraveled and ultimately weakened what we loved about the first film. Focusing on a prequel could undo a lot of that damage.
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Please allow me to disagree. The Matrix story is fully rounded, either if one considers only the first movie or the whole trilogy. Personally, I like to consider the trilogy as a whole ; as it was intended in the first place. What it needed as extra clarification was already supplied in the Animatrix. And the snippets included in Enter the Matrix. The Ultimate Matrix Collection – it’s all there.
IF the movie gets done, I’ll pay the ticket and buy the DVD. But I don’t really NEED more details about the beginnings. It’s already explained, for those who listened 
For me, the most important part of the trilogy is Revolutions. The closing of the circle. The final revelations. Inter-connectivity. Interdependence. The alternative to either/or.
I guess a prequel would make a nice movie. And by all means, get Milo to play The One, he does confused wonderfully
Not another us vs.them movie. We should grow past that. Or at least try to.
Great article. I don’t know why no one has tried to reboot the franchise. Despite what the other person comments say, they set the Matrix up perfect to tell of these other ”The Ones” and I’ve always wondered how they managed to build Zion.
The Sequels to the Matrix were terrible. To much trying to explain what the Matrix was and how it functioned. Stuff that killed the mystery that I really didn’t want to know.
I’m still not sure how Smith took over the one guy without being jacked in. I guess we over looked WiFi.
[...] here at FlickSided love to play computer chair casting director. We’ve pegged Chiwetel Ejiofor to play a young Morpheus in a Matrix prequel, picked Michael C. Hall to suit up as the Riddler and even cast the Wizard of [...]
Not knowing is better than knowing for the movie?
I don’t want to see construction workers doing their hammers on Zion. LOL!
The prequel is already done…
Inception IS Matrix:Origin, that’s the film’s secret.
Think about it:
1. How the machines learned to put the humans in dream state?
2. The agent smith said it “The first matrix was an ideal world” –> “and idea can transform the world”
3. Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?
Cobb: “The dreams are real while you’re in, only when you wake up you realize something is actually strange”
4. Look at the AGENTS in the top of the building omg.
5. Look at Carrie Ann Moss(yes look at her!) while JGL prepares the package of “bottled humans” in the hotel room!
6. All the secrecy is to hide the Wachovski appearing in the credits! Why Nolan directed this? Because the WB wanted, as you mention, to give fresh air to the story!
7. “Dream a little bigger, darling” … That phrase is not placed there without intention. It has ALL the intention, it’s like “guns, a lot of guns!”. They CAN modify the Matrix in realtime!
I prefer the idea of a sequel, just following Matrix Online’s history: the death of Morpheus by The Assasin, The Kid as new Choosen One, etc…
About inception being a Matrix prequel… did you know that Leo DiCaprio was wanted to act as Neo before Keanu Reeves? But he was occupied.
I can clearly see how The Terminator and The Matrix could be combined.. The Terminator could be the prequel to The Matrix. For example in The Terminator, humans lose the final war and decide to “burn the sky” as mentioned in The Matrix to remove the energy supply for the machines that took over. So the machines turn to humans for their energy supply like in The Matrix.
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I have thought that about Terminator and Matrix for YYYYYEEEEEAAAARRRRRSSS I mean YEARS!!!! Finally someone else sees that connection!!!!
I already wrote a plot of the Matrix prequel and submitted it to WB. They are not agreeable to it, I guess because they don’t want any outsider involvement so they can keep the profit on their own…
I really think everyone should just drop the futureistic idea of a prequel or new film there’s no way n he’ll it’s gunna happen
The Matrix: Iteration would be a fitting title, considering that that’s exactly what the matrix is purported to be.
The cool thing about the matrix is that every messianic hero ever could theoretically be “the one” during his time period of simulation. Considering that the original movie is for all intents and purposes the story of king arthur – with the role of merlin being taken by a combination of morpheus and the oracle, the powers of the one being the sword in the stone, and the fight to create a place for “natural order”… it’d be kind of cool to see a medieval/sci-fi blend that establishes King Arthur as one of the iterations of The One.