Matrix 4 star Jessica Henwick talks working with Lana Wachowski and the director's 20-minute takes
"She doesn’t work like any of the directors I’ve worked with"
The Matrix Resurrections actor Jessica Henwick has spoken about working with Lana Wachowski, revealing that the director has a penchant for long action takes.
"She’s very creative and she has a very, very strong vision," Henwick said in a recent interview with Collider. "She doesn’t work like any of the directors I’ve worked with. She loves running takes, so we’ll often go 20 minutes without a single cut."
She added: "Everyone had to be aware that it was 360, at all times. She would stand next to the operator and she would be shooting. Keanu [Reeves] is speaking and she’s shooting. She’s handling the camera, zooming in on him, and then she would just turn, and suddenly the camera will be on you, even though you’re on the other side of the line. That’s how she shoots. It’s very much how she feels, in the moment. It’s very instinctive for her. It’s fascinating to watch. I’ve never worked with a director who is going so much on a gut feeling."
The fourth movie in The Matrix series will see Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return as Neo and Trinity. Neo is living a seemingly normal life in San Francisco as Thomas Anderson – he's being prescribed blue pills by his therapist and doesn't appear to recognize Trinity when they bump into one another.
Jada Pinkett-Smith will also return as Niobe, while Lambert Wilson will reprise his role as The Merovingian and Daniel Bernhardt is back as Agent Johnson. Meanwhile, new additions to the franchise's cast include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, and Priyanka Chopra.
The Matrix Resurrections releases in theaters and on HBO Max on December 22. In the meantime, fill out your watch list with our picks of the other upcoming movies to get excited about in 2021 and beyond.
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I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.