The Matrix Resurrections' Deus Machina Explained

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In "The Matrix Resurrections," Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is back at his desk on the floor of an office building, but this time, he's not stuck in a cubicle. In fact, he's got a much nicer office because he's the greatest video game designer of his generation.

In "The Matrix," Mr. Anderson — as Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) takes to calling him — is "a program writer for a respectable software company," MetaCortex. As Smith puts it, his other life "is lived in computers, where [he goes] by the hacker alias Neo."

"The Matrix Resurrections" makes the new Smith, played by Jonathan Groff, Neo's business partner at a video game company called Deus Machina. This new company takes the place of MetaCortex, and you can see its name during the building evacuation, where Neo first makes contact with the new Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

Director Lana Wachowski uses it as a meta device for commenting on the nature of this fourth "Matrix" movie. In "The Matrix Resurrections," the original "Matrix" film trilogy exists in-universe, but as a trilogy of games that Neo designed at Deus Machina. When we first meet the new Smith, he calls Neo into his office, much like Anderson's boss did in "The Matrix." Instead of dressing him down, he sits him down and explains, "Our beloved parent company, Warner Bros., has decided to make a sequel to the trilogy."

This leads into a montage where Christina Ricci makes a cameo, talking about focus group research at a meeting, and we see the writers' room (or designers' room) brainstorming ideas for the fourth game. Over and above all these meta shenanigans, however, the name Deus Machina also serves as a callback to "The Matrix Revolutions."

The Matrix Revolutions Link

Deus ex machina is a well-known Latin phrase, which means, "god out of the machine." We often use it to talk about plot contrivances where an outside force with no previous involvement in the narrative suddenly comes in to affect its resolution.

"The Matrix Revolutions," the third installment in the "Matrix" film series, used this same phrase as the name of the central interface in the machine city. Though he's blinded and blindfolded at this point, Neo comes face-to-face with the Deus Ex Machina, as the machines swarm together and give it a baby-like appearance. Neo negotiates with it and convinces it to let him to go back into the Matrix to stop Smith, in exchange for a real-world ceasefire that will bring peace to the human city of Zion.

In "The Matrix Resurrections," we learn that the machines, led by the Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris), resurrected Neo after he died in his final showdown with Smith. It seems that Smith was left tethered to Neo, unconscious himself of his true identity, because when Neo flirts with leaving the Matrix during the building evacuation, Smith awakens to his old self. And he later says that Neo escaping the Matrix again freed him up to be himself again.

The Analyst has convinced Neo that he is crazy and that his memories of his experiences in the "Matrix" trilogy are not real. However, the name Deus Machina functions as a little Easter-egg reminder of the end of that trilogy and a hint that there is more going on here than meets the eye.

"The Matrix Resurrections" is playing in theaters and on HBO Max now.

(SlashFilm)

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Movie Gaming

Can movie theatres and online streaming live side by side?

It’s been a tough time for movie theatres around the world with a number of factors contributing to the decline in the number of people heading to the cinema to watch movies. In a world that is embracing digital technologies, the movie industry is in danger of getting left behind unless they quickly embrace the technologies available that will get people excited to return to movie theatres and get the enjoyment of the cinema experience once again.

The rise of the video game industry

Whilst there are plenty of factors that are influencing people’s decision to visit the cinema, there is no doubt that the rapid rise of the online video game industry is a large contributing factor. People are starting to look elsewhere for their entertainment and online video gaming provides a lower-cost alternative to a trip to the cinema.

A report by MarketWatch in 2020 found that the video game industry is now bigger than the sports and movie industry combined. Just take a minute to digest that. Bigger than movies and sports - that’s big.

The news outlet reported that global video game revenue is expected to increase 20% in 2020, making $179.7 billion, according to data from IDC.

The biggest gain is expected to come from mobile gaming, according to the news outlet, which is expected to surge 24% to $87.7 billion. Part of this is due to China recently lifting a ban on gaming consoles.

Game console revenue is expected to soar to $52.5 billion this year, while PC and Mac games are expected to make $39.5 billion.

In their most recent report, MarketWatch reported that whilst overall revenue was expected to grow by 11% in 2021 to $251.39 billion, the forecast for 2022 is just a 2% growth and a flattening out of that rapid growth over the past two years.

Is this a potential opportunity for cinemas to reclaim some of that lost audience share?

Early signs look good for cinemas in 2022

If the latest movie releases in 2022 are anything to go by, it looks as though the movie theatre industry is not ready to give up just yet. Spider-Man: No Way Home became the biggest grossing movie of the past two years, grossing over $US1 billion ($1.38b) in the first two weekends. It is the second-fastest film ever to reach the $1 billion mark and suggests that this could be a big year for cinema-goers.

Following in its footsteps is another 2022 release, The Matrix Resurrections, a movie that grossed $US12 million in its opening weekend.

Whilst this is a great start to the New Year for movie theatres around the world, it remains to be seen whether this is a trend that continues throughout the year. With a number of high profile movies due for release in 2022, this could be a time for cinemas to really cash in.

The impact of streaming and long-form content

It is unlikely that cinemas will have it all their own way in 2022. Whilst it is great to see people returning to movie theatres to watch the latest releases on the big screen, there is no question that home viewing is here to stay.

As more studios and media distributors are developing their own direct-to-consumer streaming services, this starts to eat into the revenue of major studios.

Studios derive almost half of their revenues from theatrical releases. Although the average number of movie tickets purchased by Americans each year has declined from 4.2 in 2009 to 3.4 in 2019 (Source: Deloitte), studio revenues are driven more by box office tickets now than they were 20 years ago.

Streaming is having the biggest impact on people going to the movies. As televisions have improved, where you can now watch movies at home in 4K high-definition on screens with sizes up to 100”, with surround sound, people have become more willing to wait for the latest release movies to become available on streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Stan.

Another major impact on the cinema industry is the consumer switch to long-form content in the form of series. Many people feel there is more depth to a series that contains anywhere from six episodes upwards. Game of Thrones was one of the groundbreaking series to really capture the audience’s attention, however, there are so many amazing series now that it is becoming more difficult for movies to compete with the depth and the character development that a series can bring.

Huge series like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and more recently, Succession, have really captured the attention of audiences around the world and this is something movie producers need to consider.

The entertainment factor

It’s not just video games and streaming that are competing for people’s attention. Another industry embracing technology is the online casino and betting sector. Here, we have seen huge advancements in the way people are able to game online. One company leading the way in the sector is Betway, “Developed by our exceptionally talented people, Betway creates market-leading, cutting-edge interactive gaming experiences. We bring people closer to the action – putting them at the centre, making them feel a part of it.”

From the introduction of in-game betting to the development of new and exciting interactive games, these online gaming sites are leading the way when it comes to embracing new technologies that can lead to better experiences for customers.

The movie industry is at a real crossroads. With competition coming from every direction within the entertainment industry, studios and distributors need to find a way to either a) get more people back into movie theatres or b) look at alternative ways to ensure that movies can compete with online gaming, live sports streaming and online casinos for a share of customer eyeballs.