Warner Bros. has finally released The Matrix Resurrections Trailer 1 online on their YouTube channel. I emphasize on Trailer 1 because that’s what it’s officially named; a clear sign that this is not the only trailer (not that we needed a sign). The trailer gives us our first footage at the movie which looks like it’s the same as the Cinemacon footage descriptions from two weeks ago, including being set to the same Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit song.
The live stream started with a 2 minute countdown with the Matrix code raining on screen, accompanied by some eerie, glitchy music much in the vein of Don Davis’ soundtrack from the first Matrix. Neo has been brought back to the Matrix, seemingly unaware of his identity and being given literal blue pills to force him into believing the illusion that the world he’s living in his real. That is, until Yahya-Abdul Mateen II’s character comes along, offers to wake him up by offering him the red pill and introduce him to the real world while helping him get acclimatized with what the Matrix really is. Sounds too much like The Matrix? Yep, I had the same thought – it’s almost as if they’re redoing the movie in a slightly different way that feels more like a continuation / quasi-reboot of sorts.
After dropping a series of teaser trailers with an ingenious marketing campaign that relied on JavaScript framework Nuxt and an MD5 generated hash to reveal links to the teasers, it’s great to have official footage to pour over. In true Matrix fashion, the trailer continues to raise more questions than it provides answers. There’s enough throw in there for fans to speculate on; we get our first looks at characters played by Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, Jessica Henwick doing lots of action and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in a brief shot. This is sure to lead to some interesting theorizing in the lead up to the movie’s release. Let me know if your excitement levels are through the roof after seeing this trailer in the comments below.
The Matrix Resurrections continues to be set for release on December 17, 2021. It will arrive in theaters and HBO Max on the same day. It features an ensemble cast that includes recurring stars Keanu Reeves as Neo, Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity, Jada Pinkett-Smith as Niobe, Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian and Daniel Bernhardt as Agent Johnson alongside franchise newcomers Yahya-Abdul Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, Jessica Henwick, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Christina Ricci.
