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By Jeff Jensen
Jeff Jensen
Jeff Jensen, an EW senior writer, has been despondent since the cancellation of ''Twin Peaks''

Good news for all who want more of The Matrix, whose $37.4 million opening was the biggest April debut ever: Writer-directors Andy and Larry Wachowski have completed a sequel. Sort of. The brothers have finished a follow-up story, but only as a comic book. The work, illustrated by Geoff Darrow (who drew The Matrix's storyboards), will soon be available for free at the film's website.

It could be the last thing the Wachowskis do for free. Predictably, the brothers are being bombarded with offers. And not surprisingly, Warner Bros. is hungry for a sequel — understandable, since the Wachowskis have said Matrix is the first of a trilogy. ''From the start, they intended to create a whole universe,'' says the brothers' manager, Lawrence Mattis. But he adds that right now, the filmmakers are Matrix-ed out; they're recovering from the arduous five-year production. Says Mattis: ''My guess is [a sequel] won't be their next movie.''

So what's next? ''When we bought The Matrix, they were working on V for Vendetta [an adaptation of a DC comic book], which I hope they'll still do,'' says Warner production chief Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Aside from that, nothing's on the schedule, so fans will have to be content with the comics to be posted online. Coming soon: a story by the artists responsible for the film's eye-popping effects. As Keanu would say, ''Whoa.''

(additional reporting by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh)


Posted Apr 16, 1999 | Published in issue #481 Apr 16, 1999 | Order Article Reprints