Lilly Wachowski Exits Matrix Franchise — SkimNews
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- Lilly Wachowski said on KCRW's The Business on Friday that she is "kinda done" with the Matrix franchise, adding, "Personally, I don't wanna play in that sandbox anymore."
- Warner Bros. is developing a new Matrix project with Oscar-nominated writer Drew Goddard, who wants the Wachowskis' blessing before moving forward, and the sisters may "stick our noses in a tiny bit" to evaluate it.
- Lilly and Lana Wachowski co-wrote and co-directed the original Matrix trilogy — The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and The Matrix Revolutions (2003) — before Lana returned solo to direct The Matrix Resurrections in 2021.
- Deadline reported in 2024 that Goddard was set to write and direct the next Matrix film, with Lana Wachowski returning as executive producer.
- Lilly Wachowski is separately working to secure financing for her dystopian political thriller The Hunted, which she says will feature an all-trans cast.
Why it matters: Lilly Wachowski's public exit removes a co-creator from a franchise Warner Bros. clearly wants to extend, and Goddard's insistence on the Wachowskis' blessing means the studio's new film is now contingent on whether the sisters grant informal approval — a rare dynamic where legacy creators hold informal veto power over a studio's tentpole IP.
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