Hugo Weaving says he originally accepted an offer to return for The Matrix 4

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Although the fourth installment of THE MATRIX franchise will feature more than a few familiar faces, including Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, there are several that don't seem to be involved with the new film. Hugo Weaving played Agent Smith in the original MATRIX trilogy, and although Smith was destroyed in THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, it would seem that the character was originally slated to return for THE MATRIX 4. Earlier this year, Weaving stated that he received an offer to return for the project but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts.

During an interview with ComingSoon, the actor shed a little more light on THE MATRIX 4 and the circumstances regarding his departure.

Lana Wachowski had rung me at the beginning of last year. We’ve worked together five times, the Wachowski’s and I on three Matrix films, V for Vendetta and Cloud Atlas. I’ve hung out with them all over the world for many, many years. So, yes, Lana was very keen for me to be involved in The Matrix. There was a reading with Keanu, Carrie and myself and a few others from the old family.

"I loved a lot of it and wasn’t sure about other bits," Weaving said about the script. "Ultimately, we talked about it and when the offer came through to do it for Warner’s I said yes the next day and I talked to Lana." Weaving added that he was slated to film for close to four months, so this wouldn't have been a mere cameo, however, as Weaving was also scheduled to work at the National Theatre in London, Lana Wachowski decided that the dates wouldn't line up. "So, she pulled the plug on the negotiations," Weaving said. "That’s where it ended up. She basically didn’t feel that my commitment to the National Theatre was going to fit in with the dates that she had in mind for me." Production on THE MATRIX 4 recently resumed after being shut down due to COVID-19, with the film slated to hit theaters on April 1, 2022.