“THE Matrix Resurrections” has gotten the green light for a theatrical release on the Chinese mainland, local media outlets in Beijing reported Tuesday. The fourth film in Warner Bros.’ “Matrix” franchise has yet to receive an exact release date on the Chinese mainland. The film is set for U.S. release Dec. 22 and will debut day-and-date on HBO Max. The “Matrix” franchise is a fan favorite in China. Most fans came to the first two films in the franchise, “The Matrix” (1999) and “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003). “The Matrix Revolutions” (also released in 2003) was the first Hollywood film to open theatrically on the Chinese mainland day-and-date with major Western markets. Today, China is the world’s largest theatrical market, having surged past North America in total box-office revenue in 2020. If “The Matrix Resurrections” manages to squeeze into the market before the end of the year, it should benefit from a recent local audience penchant for high-concept science-fiction flicks. “The Matrix Resurrections” picks up the story of Neo/Thomas A. Anderson (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) 20 years later, with both still trapped inside the simulated computer-generated world but with no memory of their past or each other. The film also stars Jada Pinkett Smith (returning to the franchise) along with series newcomers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Christina Ricci. Like all previous “Matrix” films, “The Matrix Resurrections” is written and directed by Lana Wachowski, with “Cloud Atlas” author David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon co-writing this installment. (SD-Agencies) | 