Latest news with #KeanuReeves
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'The Matrix is everywhere': cinema bets on immersion
IN a Los Angeles theatre, a trench coat-wearing Neo bends backwards to dodge bullets that spiral over the viewer's head, as the sound of gunfire erupts from everywhere. This new immersive experience is designed to be a red pill moment that will get film fans off their couches at a time when the movie industry is desperate to bring back audiences. Cosm, which has venues in Los Angeles and Dallas, is launching its dome-style screen and 3D sets in June with a "shared reality" version of 'The Matrix', the cult 1999 film starring Keanu Reeves as a man who suddenly learns his world is a fiction. "We believe the future will be more immersive and more experiential," said Cosm president Jeb Terry at a recent preview screening. "It's trying to create an additive, a new experience, ideally non-cannibalistic, so that the industry can continue to thrive across all formats." Cinema audiences were already dwindling when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, shuttering theatres at a time when streaming was exploding. With ever bigger and better TVs available for the home, the challenge for theater owners is to offer something that movie buffs cannot get in their living room. Prestige projects like Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' or Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning 'Oppenheimer' increasingly opt for the huge screens and superior film quality of IMAX. But Cosm and other projects like it want to go one step further, collaborating with designers who have worked with Cirque du Soleil to create an environment in which the viewer feels like they are inside the film. For filmmakers, it's all about how you place the cameras and where you capture the sound, said Jay Rinsky, founder of Little Cinema, a creative studio specializing in immersive experiences. "We create sets like the Parisian opera, let the movie be the singer, follow the tone, highlight the emotions... through light, through production design, through 3D environments," he said. The approach, he said, felt particularly well suited to 'The Matrix', which he called "a masterpiece of cinema, but done as a rectangle". For the uninitiated: Reeves' Neo is a computer hacker who starts poking around in a life that doesn't quite seem to fit. A mysterious Laurence Fishburne offers him a blue pill that will leave him where he is, or a red pill that will show him he is a slave whose body is being farmed by AI machines while his conscious lives in a computer simulation. There follows much gunfire, lots of martial arts and some mysticism, along with a romance between Neo and Trinity, played by the leather-clad Carrie-Anne Moss. 'The Matrix' in shared reality kicks off with a choice of cocktails — blue or red, of course — which are consumed as the audience sits surrounded by high-definition screens. Shifting perspectives place the viewer inside Neo's office cubicle, or seemingly in peril. "They're sometimes inside the character's head," said Rinsky. "The world changes as you look up and down for trucks coming at you." The result impressed those who were at the preview screening.
Geek Tyrant
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Keanu Reeves Reportedly Has One Big Condition to Return For JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 5 — GeekTyrant
Keanu Reeves may be ready to suit up as John Wick one more time, but only on one condition, the action has to match what his 60-year-old body can actually handle. According to In Touch, Reeves is being 'perfectly honest' with the creative team behind John Wick: Chapter 5 as development slowly moves forward. A source told the outlet, 'The script is being written and Keanu is being perfectly honest about what he's willing and not willing to do stunt-wise. There's no faking this. He's being totally honest about what he can and can't do, and he had put his body through hell for these movies.' Reeves has never been one to shy away from the punishing stunts and physically demanding sequences that define the franchise, but after four films and years of wear and tear, he's drawing some boundaries. It's not about stepping back from action entirely, but about being smart about what's possible now. If John Wick: Chapter 5 is going to happen, the wild set pieces that fans love need to be tailored to fit what Reeves is actually capable of at this point in his career. Lionsgate officially announced the film back in April at CinemaCon, with franchise director Chad Stahelski once again at the helm. But even with that announcement, the movie isn't a sure thing just yet. Stahelski has admitted that developing the next chapter is tricky, saying, 'cracking the story is a bit of a conundrum.' After all, John Wick did seemingly die at the end of Chapter 4. Still, Lionsgate is eager to make it happen. Stahelski even joked that the studio 'would very much will [John Wick 5] into existence' if they could. But for Reeves to come back, the team has to find a version of the movie that both works narratively and respects the limits Reeves is setting. The franchise has always centered on Reeves doing the real stunts, which added a level of authenticity that helped elevate John Wick above the usual action fare. But, maybe it's time to evolve the formula. He's already mentioned his knees may not survive another gauntlet of stair falls. That doesn't mean the next John Wick film has to go soft. If anything, reimagining the action to suit an older, wearier Wick could give the movie something fresh and interesting. What does an aging assassin's last stand look like when it's not just bullets and broken bones, but strategy, restraint, and experience? If the team can crack a story that respects what the franchise has built and what Reeves is ready to give, it could be something special. But if they can't? Maybe it's okay to let the Baba Yaga finally rest.
Geek Tyrant
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Keanu Reeves Reportedly Has One Big Condition to Return For JOHN WICK
Keanu Reeves may be ready to suit up as John Wick one more time, but only on one condition, the action has to match what his 60-year-old body can actually handle. According to In Touch, Reeves is being 'perfectly honest' with the creative team behind John Wick: Chapter 5 as development slowly moves forward. A source told the outlet, 'The script is being written and Keanu is being perfectly honest about what he's willing and not willing to do stunt-wise. There's no faking this. He's being totally honest about what he can and can't do, and he had put his body through hell for these movies.' Reeves has never been one to shy away from the punishing stunts and physically demanding sequences that define the franchise, but after four films and years of wear and tear, he's drawing some boundaries. It's not about stepping back from action entirely, but about being smart about what's possible now. If John Wick: Chapter 5 is going to happen, the wild set pieces that fans love need to be tailored to fit what Reeves is actually capable of at this point in his career. Lionsgate officially announced the film back in April at CinemaCon, with franchise director Chad Stahelski once again at the helm. But even with that announcement, the movie isn't a sure thing just yet. Stahelski has admitted that developing the next chapter is tricky, saying, 'cracking the story is a bit of a conundrum.' After all, John Wick did seemingly die at the end of Chapter 4 . Still, Lionsgate is eager to make it happen. Stahelski even joked that the studio 'would very much will [John Wick 5] into existence' if they could. But for Reeves to come back, the team has to find a version of the movie that both works narratively and respects the limits Reeves is setting. The franchise has always centered on Reeves doing the real stunts, which added a level of authenticity that helped elevate John Wick above the usual action fare. But, maybe it's time to evolve the formula. He's already mentioned his knees may not survive another gauntlet of stair falls. That doesn't mean the next John Wick film has to go soft. If anything, reimagining the action to suit an older, wearier Wick could give the movie something fresh and interesting. What does an aging assassin's last stand look like when it's not just bullets and broken bones, but strategy, restraint, and experience? If the team can crack a story that respects what the franchise has built and what Reeves is ready to give, it could be something special. But if they can't? Maybe it's okay to let the Baba Yaga finally rest.
Geek Tyrant
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Drew Goddard's THE MATRIX Movie Rumored to Bring Back Keanu Reeves as Neo — GeekTyrant
A new Matrix film is being developed, and Drew Goddard, best known for The Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale, is directing. Since the announcement, fans have been speculating whether this project is a reboot, a continuation, or something entirely different. Now, a new rumor hints that a very familiar face may be returning to the digital frontier. According to scooper Daniel Richtman: 'The idea is to have Keanu Reeves back for the next Matrix movie.' No other details were offered, but this simple claim is enough to spark some excitement. If true, Goddard's movie may not be a fresh start after all, but a continuation of Neo's story. For longtime fans, this is a potentially big development. While there had once been chatter about a full-on reboot starring Michael B. Jordan, the idea of picking up with Reeves' Neo instead feels more in line with what audiences might actually want. The Matrix franchise is so deeply tied to its original cast and philosophical lore, this movie might benefit more from evolution than reinvention. When we last saw Neo in The Matrix Resurrections , he and Trinity had regained control of the simulation and were shaping it together. If Goddard's film picks up from there, Neo could now exist as something closer to a god within the system, something new for the character and the mythology. Goddard has made it clear that he's not taking this opportunity lightly.. He said: 'It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life. Lana and Lilly's exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world.' Jesse Ehrman, Warner Bros. Motion Pictures President of Production, added: 'Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters.' Ehrman also made clear the studio's support: 'The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis' spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.' Whether this is a soft reboot, a sequel, or something that defies categorization altogether, it's clear that Goddard wants to build on the legacy rather than overwrite it, and if Reeves is truly coming back, then we're not done with Neo just yet.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ballerina's Chad Stahelski Says The John Wick Franchise Could Keep Working Without Keanu Reeves, But He Has One Concern I Agree With
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In the new John Wick spinoff Ballerina, the presence of Keanu Reeves feels like a security blanket of sorts. Without a guarantee that audiences would buy into a new movie within the canon following a new protagonist, the filmmaker/studio included plenty of the legendary Baba Yaga to make the project appear more connected to the continuity/enticing. But what does that potentially say about the franchise as a whole as it continues to expand with a variety of projects? It's an interesting conundrum for John Wick series director/Ballerina producer Chad Stahelski that the filmmaker recently addressed The question of whether or not the John Wick canon can expand without leaning directly on the star power power of Keanu Reeves is one that was posed directly to Stahelski during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and the short answer to the matter is "yes" (and it's apparently something he has discussed with the actor personally). That being said, he also recognizes that there is a need to not spread the material too thin with too much too fast. Said the Ballerina producer, Keanu and I actually just talked about this. Look, it's always tricky. I think the world can be supported as long as you don't go crazy and carpet bomb. What we're doing now are stories we really want to tell that feel organic. So what does that mean in his eyes? Chad Stahelski constructed a metaphor by imagining a multi-series Alice In Wonderland franchise. He continued, You've seen Alice in Wonderland. Now what about the Rabbit? What about the Cheshire Cat? Also, sometimes in your own franchise, you get so far up your own ass with the mythology that by the 10th movie you don't know what's going on. I don't ever want to get that way with Wick. I want each one to be able to stand alone. As of right now, with Ballerina now playing in theaters, there are three projects that have been lined up for the future of the John Wick franchise: A Caine Spinoff: A live-action from John Wick: Chapter 4 centered around the blind assassin played by Donnie Yen (Yen is also attached to direct). John Wick's Impossible Task Prequel: An animated movie that will tell the story of how John Wick managed to win his freedom from the High Council so that he could live a life of peace with his wife, Helen John Wick: Chapter 5: While recent comments from Chad Stahelski have suggested that the sequel isn't guaranteed, another sequel centered around the world's most dangerous assassin following the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 is in development. From that list, the Caine project will presumably be the big test for the strength of the John Wick franchise – assuming that the story doesn't find a way to incorporate some kind of Keanu Reeves appearance. It will be fascinating to see how things develop following the release of Ballerina, and we here at CinemaBlend will continue to keep you apprised of the latest developments within the canon.
