©Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Drew Goddard has signed to to write and direct the fifth entry in the Matrix film franchise, alongside his producing partner, Sarah Esberg, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The sci-fi action movie series’ studio, Warner Bros., will be working on the project with Goddard, who previously helmed The Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale.

Warners announced today that the filmmaker, who also garnered fame by penning the genre favorites Cloverfield and World War Z, will take over for The Matrix‘s creators, Lana and Lilly Wachowski. The upcoming sequel will be the first installment in The Matrix franchise to not be creatively developed by series creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski.

However, Lana Wachowski will act as an executive producer on the new feature, after she co-scribed and directed the previous follow-up, 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections, on her own. She previously wrote ad helmed the franchise’s first three entries with her sister, Lilly Wachowski.

Plot details are being kept secret about the anticipated fourth follow-up in the series. However, the studio said Goddard approached company executives with unique new ideas to extend the franchise.

“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,” said Warner Bros. Motion Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman in a statement.

“The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making his new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio,” the studio executive also said.

Released just over 25 years ago in March 1999, The Matrix captured the imaginations of audiences with a unique, action-driven sci-fi story. The BAFTA Award-winning film pushed the boundaries of special effects, and also featured a defining performance from Keanu Reeves.

Co-written and co-directed by the Wachowskis, the drama revealed how humanity was stuck in a simulated reality. Humans are actually being used as batteries for intelligent machines, and Reeves’ messiah-like figure, Neo, was chosen to lead a rebellion.

The movie famously introduced the idea of bullet time as a special effect concept. As a result, the feature earned Oscars for best visual effects, as well as for editing, sound and sound editing.

The original Matrix grossed $467 million worldwide upon its distribution, which helped it become one of 1999’s most profitable theatrical releases. It has since became a pop culture phenomenon throughout the 21st century. The project also helped Reeves eventually garner $20 million per movie.

The series’ first two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, were then released back to back in 2003 to mixed reviews and uneven box office returns. The Matrix Reloaded grossed $741 million, which reflected the initial continuing intense interest in the franchise.

However, The Matrix Revolutions saw a decline in ticket sales, and only made $427 million at the box office. The drop in the second follow-up’s box office gross showed the growing disappointment from audiences, who felt that the franchise had begun prioritizing the visual effects over the story.