Have you ever sat down for your annual autumnal rewatch of The Matrix series and thought, “This is great but it would be better if maybe Keanu Reeves had a dance number or two?”
Probably not, but then you start thinking “actually, there could be some really interesting choreographed sequences in here” and suddenly you’re mapping out an immersive dance experience based on the hit sci-fi blockbuster. That’s probably where director Danny Boyle came up with his idea for Free Your Mind, the upcoming choreography-based adaptation of The Matrix.
Boyle will direct the project which will debut at a new arts center in Manchester, U.K. next fall. The production is described as a “large-scale immersive performance” which will hopefully not feature any audience members swallowing various colorful pills. According to the show’s logline:
Combining the hip-hop choreography of hundreds of dancers with the latest immersive design, Free Your Mind will take audiences on a thrilling journey through The Matrix and into a new realm of possibilities. This eye-opening production will stretch across the building’s ultra-flexible spaces, responding to them and harnessing the collective energy of the moment.
The director is known for non-dancing movies like 28 Days Later, 127 Hours, and Trainspotting, so this new venture will be quite intriguing! Though, to be fair, he did win an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, so he knows a little bit about intricate dance sequences. It doesn’t seem like Reeves is on board, but we hear he loves showing up to dancing events unexpectedly, so maybe it will work out.