Keanu Reeves Was Concerned About His Return to $1.7 B Franchise After 18 Years, Never Believed He Could Beat $465 Million Box Office Record

Before the John Wick movies cemented him as one of the biggest names in the action landscape, Keanu Reeves was widely known for his work in the genre-bending The Matrix. It’s safe to say that no other sci-fi installment in the last 2-decades had the same level of impact on the genre like The Matrix had when it arrived in theatres back in 1999.

However, the same can’t be said for the two movies that came after it, as even though they do end up respectably concluding the trilogy, they weren’t up to the standards set by the first movie. But returning to this franchise after 18 years with The Matrix Resurrections was always going to be a huge challenge, which the John Wick star was aware of.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves claimed The Matrix Resurrections won’t be able to compete with the first one

Even before The Matrix Resurrections hit screens in an attempt to revive the iconic franchise, Keanu Reeves knew that the film won’t be able to compete with its predecessor. Although the actor didn’t see eye to eye with all the criticisms that arrived its way after it was finally released, the actor could understand why this was the case.

Considering the first movie’s impact can still be felt in the industry and among fans, coming back to it was always going to be a huge challenge, as living up to its predecessor wasn’t an easy job. He said,

“I mean, you can’t compete with the first time because after the first time is the second time.”

Keanu Reeves in The Matrix

Although the John Wick star was always aware of the risk and had his concerns regarding a new entry in the beloved franchise after nearly 2-decades, the script convinced him to return.

Keanu Reeves found the script for The Matrix Resurrections exceptional

Up on being asked whether he’d like to work in a new entry in The Matrix franchise, Keanu Reeves had his doubts but after reading the script, it didn’t take a lot of convincing. The actor explained he was excited to join forces with director Lana Wachowski again and his initial doubts washed off after reading the script, as he claimed that it was amazing and was proud of the end product. He said,
“I think Resurrection is a special film. I think it’s funny, I think the ideas are thought-provoking, inspiring, challenging. I think it can make you laugh, it can make you cry, the characters are great, and I think the spectacle of it is amazing. I just think it’s a film we could use right about now.”

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Unfortunately, the movie’s overall reception was mixed and it wasn’t able to break the original’s box office numbers, which was also a result of Covid in the entertainment industry at that time.