Nigerian-born Toby Onwumere is the latest cast member added to Lana Wachowski‘s ‘The Matrix 4’ from Warner Bros./Village Roadshow. Onwumere previously starred in the lead role of Capheus “Van Damn” Onyango on Season Two of the Netflix series ‘Sense8’, which was created by The Wachowskis, the masterminds behind ‘The Matrix’ trilogy. Lana Wachowski co-wrote and is directing ‘The Matrix 4’. Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell co-wrote the screenplay. Wachowski is also producing, along with Grant Hill.
Following ‘Sense8’, Onwumere joined the cast of ‘Empire’ as Kai, the eventual husband of Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett). Apparently he got written off the show at the same time as Smollett. He will next be seen in the sci-fi film ‘Thorp’.
Keanu Reeves (Neo), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), and Jada Pinkett Smith (Niobe) are all returning from the original movie trilogy. Onwumere joins fellow newcomers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jessica Henwick.
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Details are being kept under wraps, but there seems to be some sort of time travel element involved as it is rumored that actors are being sought to play younger versions of some of the older characters, specifically Neo and Morpheus, who was played by Laurence Fishburn in the originals. There is speculation that Abdul-Mateen is playing the younger Morpheus, but there has been no confirmation of that. It is also rumored that Harris is playing a villain in the film and that Henwick’s character is like a female Neo. Nothing is known about Groff’s role, and nothing was announced regarding who Onwumere might be playing.
The original movies in this series – ‘The Matrix’ (1999), ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ (2003), and ‘Matrix Revolutions’ (2003) – have grossed $1.6 billion worldwide. The first ‘Matrix’ won four technical Academy Awards for Editing, Sound, Sound Editing, and Visual Effects.
Production on ‘The Matrix 4’ is expected to begin in early 2020.
Source: Deadline
