"Fourth Matrix"?

LONDON — Fans of “The Matrix” may get another chance to see how deep the rabbit hole goes: A new installment in the film franchise is in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The prospects for a fourth movie were almost as ambiguous as the trilogy’s famously complex plot. An article published on Tuesday said that the siblings Lana and Lilly Wachowski, who dreamed up and shot the original “Matrix” and its sequels, were not yet involved in the possible project.

Nor was it clear how the narrative of the new installment, which The Hollywood Reporter described as a “relaunch” and a “reboot,” would tie in with the existing “Matrix” films.

The participation of Keanu Reeves, who played the central figure, Neo, in all three films, was also an open question. In February, Mr. Reeves said he would take part in another “Matrix” film if the opportunity arose and if the Wachowskis were involved. “I dunno, that’d be weird, but why not,” he told Yahoo Movies.

Zak Penn, co-creator of the television show “Alphas,” who has worked on screenplays for movies including “The Incredible Hulk,” “The Avengers” and “X-Men: The Last Stand,” was said by The Hollywood Reporter to be in talks to write the script.

The trilogy’s original producer, Joel Silver, first approached the Warner Brothers studio about the new sequel, according to the article.

The “Matrix” series centers on Neo, a Christlike figure who discovers that humanity is being kept in a placid dream state by machines and starts to fight back.

The first film became a sleeper hit after its release in 1999, bringing in close to half a billion dollars worldwide, winning four Academy Awards and leading to the sequels, “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.”

The Wachowskis have tackled several ambitious projects since “The Matrix,” including “Sense8,” a Netflix series about people around the world linked by a mysterious psychic force, and a film adaptation of the sprawling fantasy novel “Cloud Atlas.”

A spokesman for Warner Bros. declined to comment on Wednesday.