Earlier this month, Lilly Wachowski – after years of fan speculation – confirmed that The Matrix movies, which she wrote and directed with her sister Lana, have always been an allegory for the trans experience. Now, Keanu Reeves, who played the role of Neo in the trilogy, says that while he didn’t know of this before, he’s supportive.
“I think The Matrix films are profound, and I think that allegorically, a lot of people in different versions of the film can speak to that,” Reeves told Yahoo Entertainment. “And for Lilly to come out and share that with us, I think is cool.”
When asked about whether the upcoming Matrix 4 will have a similar allegorical message, Reeves responded: “I don’t know, I think it’ll be open to interpretation.”
Reeves is currently working on a fourth Matrix film. Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett-Smith, are among those reprising their former roles, while actors Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Neil Patrick Harris will also join the cast.
“I don’t know how present my transness was in the background of my brain as we were writing it,” Wachowski told Netflix. “We were always living in a world of imagination. It freed us up as filmmakers because we were able to imagine stuff at that time that you didn’t necessarily see onscreen.”
“I’m glad people are talking about The Matrix movies with a trans narrative, and I’m grateful I can be a part of throwing them a rope along their journey,” she added. “I’m glad that it has gotten out that that was the original intention. The world wasn’t quite ready for it. The corporate world wasn’t ready for it.”
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