One of last year’s most highly anticipated films, The Matrix Resurrections, is now available on digital streaming in the UK, earlier than usual – as a digital purchase.
The Matrix Resurrections has become available to watch on TV as a digital download on January 31, 2022 – and soon will also be available to purchase on DVD and 4K Blu-ray (see full details below).
Check the prices for the digital purchase version here:
The Matrix Resurrections, which is the fourth sequel in the franchise, was delayed – like many other films – due to the pandemic. It was released in UK cinemas on December 22, 2021.
In the US, however, the film was also available to stream on HBO Max, at no extra cost to existing subscribers – on the same day and date as its theatrical release (Just like Dune, Wonder Woman 1984, and several other 2021 blockbusters).
UK home viewers had to wait longer for home streaming – but we can now confirm the film is available as a premium digital rental – just 40 days after its theatrical release.
The Matrix Resurrections was co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski – who also directed the original trilogy, along with her sister Lilly Wachowski (who declined to get involved this time around).
Several cast members from the original trilogy have returned for Resurrections, including Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Jada Pinkett Smith. Joining them are Jonathan Groff, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick and Neil Patrick Harris.
The film, which is part sequel, part reboot and part a re-telling of the first Matrix, starts with Thomas Anderson (Reeves) living his life as a successful video game developer, creator of The Matrix, a game series based on Neo’s…memories?
To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, Mr Anderson, aka Neo, will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once again. Neo already knows what he has to do, but what he doesn’t yet know is that the Matrix is stronger, more secure and far more dangerous than ever before.
In the US, the film was available on HBO Max, a streaming service that includes shows and films from DC, HBO, Universal Pictures, WarnerBros and others.
A subscription to HBO Max currently costs $14.99/month, but it’s only available in the US – unless you use a VPN.
The Matrix Resurrections was the last in a long line 2021 films that were released on HBO Max at the same time as in US cinemas – a list that included The Suicide Squad, Godzilla vs. Kong, Dune, Wonder Woman 1984, The Many Saints of Newark and more.
How To Watch The Matrix Resurrections Online In The UK
In the UK, as we were first to report, The Matrix Resurrections became available to rent and stream digitally on January 31.
In most digital outlets, the price is that of a Premium Home Rental – £15.99.
This is similar to the cost of other premium rentals, such as No Time To Die and Dune earlier this year (but cheaper than premier rentals on Disney+, which tend to cost £19.99).
As with all video rentals, once you start playing it, you will only have 48 hours to complete your watching.
The film is available on some of the leading UK streaming services, such as Amazon’s Prime Video store, Google Play Store, Rakuten TV, and other streaming video stores.
While still more than a month after the film’s theatrical release (in the UK), it is still earlier than films of the past, where we had to wait several months before films transferred from movie theatres to home entertainment.
The physical DVD and Blu-ray versions of The Matrix Resurrections are already available to pre-order, though there’s no official shipping date yet.
Will The Matrix Resurrections Come To Netflix In The UK?
Typically, films tend to jump from digital VOD stores to subscription-based streaming services a few months after they’re released for purchasing (though sometimes it takes even longer).
However, in the UK, new WarnerBros’ films tend to end up on Sky and their streaming service, NOW – and not on Netflix. That was the case with The Suicide Squad, Dune and others in 2021.
We’ll update once we have more information – so make sure you Subscribe to our free newsletter.
(The first version of this article was published on January 24, 2022)