After 21 years of speculation from fans, The Matrix director Lilly Wachowski confirmed theories that the franchise was an allegory for the transgender experience. Earlier this month, Wachowski sat down with Netflix to shared her experience creating the films at a point at her life when she was still in the closet with her gender identity.
As Yahoo! points out, "Some of the more prevalent theories pointed to the fact that Reeves’s hero lives a double life as computer programmer and hacker, that his chosen name is "Neo," and that the red pill that awakens reality within the Matrix could symbolize red estrogen pills."
"For me and Lana, we're existing in this space where the words didn't exist so we were always living in a world of imagination," Wachowski said in the Netflix interview. "It's why I gravitated toward science fiction and fantasy, it was all about creating worlds. It freed us up as filmmakers because we were able to imagine stuff at that time that you didn't necessarily see on screen."
Star of the franchise, Keanu Reeves, says he was unaware of the franchise's deeper meanings. "I never spoke to Lilly about that, she never conveyed that to me," the 55-year-old actor told Yahoo! "I think The Matrix films are profound, and I think that allegorically, a lot of people in different versions of the film can speak to that. And for Lilly to come out and share that with us, I think is cool."
Reeves is all set to reprise his role in the upcoming Matrix sequel alongside Carrie-Anne Moss. Jada Pinkett Smith is also rumored to be returning, while Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Priyanka Chopra Jona, and Sense8 star Brian J. Smith are in talks for new roles in the film.
