'Matrix 4': Jada Pinkett Smith May Return to Franchise for New Movie

Jada Pinkett Smith may return for The Matrix 4, depending on how negotiations go. Sources close to the production told Deadline that Pinkett Smith is considering a role in the Matrix franchise revival, but the deal has not been set in stone yet. The movie is far from filming, but the cast is starting to shape up.

Pinkett Smith is reportedly negotiating with Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow for a spot in The Matrix 4. The actress would presumably reprise her role from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, where she played Niobe. If she signed on, she would rejoin her old castmates Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, as well as newcomers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Neil Patrick Harris, who was announced on Tuesday.

Harris is new to the franchise, and his role is still a mystery. However, it will be his first time in a major franchise film for a big studio, in spite of his relative fame elsewhere. Abdul-Mateen II's role is also a secret, but some speculate that he may play a young Morpheus.

In The Matrix universe, Pinkett Smith's character Niobe is from Zion, the refugee city where humans live outside of the control of robots and A.I. She is the captain of the hovercraft Logos, aiding in the war against the Machines. She is a skilled martial artist, and she made appearances in the video games Enter the Matrix and The Matrix Online as well.

The Matrix 4 is being written and directed by Lana Wachowski, one of the original creators of the franchise. After a decades-long career, this will be the first major motion picture made by just one of the Wachowski siblings. It is still unclear why Lana is working on it without her sister, Lilly.

Lana is co-writing the movie with David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon. Hemon was previously a writer for The New Yorker, and he did the first major interview with Lana about her gender transition in 2012.

Mitchell and Hemon will also serve as producers, as will Reeves and Moss. Fans have wanted a fresh addition to the Matrix franchise for years, but many think it has finally gotten the greenlight thanks to Reeves' blockbuster success elsewhere.

This spring, Reeves starred in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Though the series was originally envisioned as a trilogy, its wild success led the studio to greenlight another installment, which is due out in 2021. On that timeline, it may be out before The Matrix 4.

The Matrix 4 is currently slated for release in 2022.