THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Lands Coveted China Release Date As Sony Awaits Word On SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Lands Coveted China Release Date As Sony Awaits Word On SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

WB has received some very promising news this morning, as The Matrix Resurrections has landed a highly coveted China release date. Meanwhile, Sony is still waiting to schedule Spider-Man: No Way Home...

By RohanPatel - Dec 05, 2021 12:12 PM EST
Filed Under: Matrix

Deadline has confirmed that Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow have secured a China release date for Lana Wachowski's highly-anticipated The Matrix Resurrections. It's set to debut on January 14, 2022. 

While this is certainly promising news and bodes well for the film's box office, it's fair to wonder whether piracy could potentially diminish some of its returns as that January date will come three weeks after the film's simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max streaming launch in the United States on December 22. 

Meanwhile, in another universe, Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios, and eager fans across the globe are still awaiting word on when Jon Watts' Spider-Man: No Way Home starring Tom Holland will be granted a China release date. Considering the wall-crawler's immense popularity in the country, it seemed almost guaranteed that the studios will be granted a date, but with no Marvel Studios release being allowed to open in China this year and Tom Hardy's Venom: Let There Be Carnage now also looking uncertain to secure a release, it seems Spidey's status might be a little iffier than previously believed. 

The Matrix Resurrections will see franchise stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprise their iconic roles as Neo and Trinity, respectively, with an all-new supporting cast consisting of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Eréndira Ibarra, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Brian J. Smith, Daniel Bernhardt as Agent Johnson, Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian, and Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe.

Lana Wachowski directed the long-awaited sequel solo, with a screenplay she co-wrote with David Mitchell & Aleksander Hemon. She's also a producer on the project with Grant Hill and James McTeigue. 

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4thMaster
4thMaster - 12/5/2021, 12:36 PM
Great news for WB, this could be huge if it's a hit in China. Though that will hugely depend on Chinese nostalgia for the 1st one.

I remember Shang-Chi and Eternals had issues due to past comments by Liu and Yen, but why did Black Widow not get a China release?
Origame
Origame - 12/5/2021, 12:41 PM
@4thMaster - I will say when it comes to Shang chi, it's more complicated than just what liu said. For starters, there's the comic book origin of the character, which had the original father being fu Manchu, who the people of China HATE. On top of that, from what was released about the movie, it came across as pandering.
4thMaster
4thMaster - 12/5/2021, 1:06 PM
@Origame - Thanks for clarifying on that front!
Wasn't part of the point of changing and mixing the Fu Manchu and Mandarin characters to escape from those racist origins? They certainly put in the work for a more respectful interpretation.
I obviously can't speak for modern Chinese culture, but the pandering of Shang-Chi felt directed more towards Asian-Americans than to Chinese people.
OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 12/5/2021, 1:12 PM
@4thMaster - I actually read recently that Black Widow didn't get a release date because China wanted it waaaaayyyyyy earlier than the rest of the world
Origame
Origame - 12/5/2021, 1:21 PM
@4thMaster - that's the point feige kept bringing up, but they kept saying the root of the character was still there.

Also, it was only really pandering to Asian Americans in the beginning part (and I guess the fact there were Asian Americans in the cast), but they left America pretty quickly and the plot was steeped in Chinese culture, especially the latter half.
LameLuka
LameLuka - 12/5/2021, 6:43 PM
@4thMaster - china wont help it. Movie will already be available on torrents by the time it hits china. 50 milion max there, 400-500 milion worldwide total.
Plus No Way Home is going to destroy it if it ends up opening BIG.
Fanmar16
Fanmar16 - 12/5/2021, 12:45 PM
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS = super meh

I still maintain that the film is a serious mistake
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 12/5/2021, 1:13 PM
This film is gonna flop in america thanks to same day release but I really hope it succeeds overseas❤
LameLuka
LameLuka - 12/5/2021, 6:45 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - its tracking to only do 35-50 milion domestic opening. China is a certified flop with that late release in january though.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 12/5/2021, 2:12 PM
It’s gonna flop here
BringFFtoMCU
BringFFtoMCU - 12/5/2021, 2:35 PM
Spidey about to show the world who the true Chosen One is…
https://giphy.com/gifs/morphin-spiderman-matrix-the-J344ZwyxSj8rL0cmFP
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/5/2021, 2:52 PM
China doesn't need American releases,the highest grossing movies of the year are pretty much all Chinese.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/5/2021, 2:54 PM
Day to date release lmao, years from now we will laugh at the clowns who thought that would ever work. Gotta leave your house sometime lol might as well go to the theater
billnye69
billnye69 - 12/5/2021, 3:14 PM
Threater Flop incoming.
valmic
valmic - 12/5/2021, 3:50 PM
I’ll see it in a theater and then come home and watch it again, assuming it’s good. I’ve seen every matrix in the theater and I want to keep that tradition.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/5/2021, 5:15 PM
It will be interesting to see how well The Matrix 4 does at the box office considering its being released on HBOMAX as well.
LameLuka
LameLuka - 12/5/2021, 6:47 PM
BoxOfficePro has this opening at 35-50 milion domestic. With it being on HBO MAX aswell it wont matter if it opens in china its going to tank there, just like Dune tanked in china.
WackyBantha
WackyBantha - 12/5/2021, 10:13 PM
Just out of curiosity, how much money would Matrix 4 need to make domestically to not be considered a financial flop? And how much money would it need to make to avoid being an international financial flop?
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