Keanu Reeves journeys down the rabbit hole again in The Matrix Resurrections

Blue pill, red pill... what's your choice Mr Anderson? 

No, it is neither deja vu nor a glitch. 

The Wachowski siblings introduced The Matrix to the world in 1999. Starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Laurence Fishburne, the mind-altering film quickly became a cult hit. It was soon followed by The Matrix Reloaded and The  Matrix Revolutions, both in 2003. The sci-fi trilogy was also a technological feat as it new techniques to the action genre.

Fast forward 20 years, the 57-year-old Reeves is back to reprise the dual roles of Thomas Anderson aka Neo, the man once saved from the Matrix to become the saviour of humankind. 

Also returning is Moss as Trinity, and the power couple is joined by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

The Matrix Resurrections is now showing in cinemas.

Here, Reeves talks about going down the rabbit hole after 20 years and jumping off skyscraper — for real.

What was your reaction when director Lana Wachowski invited you back to the Matrix?
KEANU REEVES:  That was a very thrilling moment.

What did you think about this new take on this iconic trilogy?
I thought it was a beautiful love story. It was very up to date and an important medicine for the days that we have. 

As I feel The Matrix, Reloaded and Revolutions had a cautionary tale and kind of inspiring messages, I felt like Resurrections was embracing and speaking to where we are today and hopefully will be as inspiring.

Did you enjoy all the beautiful callbacks and Easter eggs?
Yes, I did, especially for the character that I play. 

I thought it was really interesting, in terms of a cinematic structure and storytelling structure, how Lana was dealing with the past and the present, not only for the characters in the film, but I think for the audience watching it.

I think her use of flashbacks is an enriching feeling and the way that she includes the audience lets us be connected to the present journey of the character as the film unfolds.

How did it feel to step back into Mr Anderson's shoes?
It was nice. They fit, and they're quite comfortable. 

The character has a sense of questioning and also has experience and knowledge. So with that, there are these moments in the film where he's kind of wondering, "Is it all worth it, or what really happened, or what does it mean?" 

The kind of kaleidoscope that Anderson/Neo goes through is pretty profound. It's a pleasure to play.

What's it like to work with Carrie-Anne Moss again?
It's so special and such a pleasure to work with Carrie-Anne. The connection between Neo and Trinity is their love for each other and it's a pleasure to play that. 

Carrie-Anne is an exceptional artist, a righteous soul. It was a real pleasure to work together again.

You have a lot of new talent coming into the world: Jessica Henwick, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff. Can you talk a little bit about your great cast?
It was really cool to be working with artists who had such affection and enthusiasm for the project. And to experience their extraordinary, talented commitment is a real pleasure.

You are used to training hard for your films, but what did Matrix Resurrection entail for you? 
The training was probably very similar to the training that I had had previously on the films. 

I guess the biggest thing was just Carrie-Anne and I jumping off a building. That was a little different, but we worked with Scott Rogers, who designed all of the wire and designed the architecture of that event. I had worked with Scott before and I have complete trust in him. Carrie-Anne came to completely trust him as well. 

I thought it was cool that Lana wanted these characters to leap off a building and not do it in a computer-generated environment. Lana allowed us to do something and have an experience that we never had in our lives.

What do you hope your audiences will feel when they see this one?
I hope they're inspired. I hope they will find it interesting and inspirational. I hope they have a good time laughing and crying.

There is some good food for thought, and I hope they will have a wonderful takeaway from the experience of watching the film.