Jada Pinkett Smith’s Niobe is one of several characters making a return to the computer-simulation-centered action franchise in the soon-to-be-released The Matrix Resurrections.
In this new film, the Niobe character — who first appeared in the second film in the franchise, The Matrix Reloaded —appears from the trailer to be much older (via make up ) than even the returning Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, and Trinity, played by Carrie-Anne Moss.
We’re now getting insights from Pinkett Smith herself that if she were to be given an opportunity to once again appear in some kind of Matrix videogame tie-in, she would love to lend her motion capture and voice talents once again, just as she had done in the 2003 action videogame Enter The Matrix, in which Niobe is a playable character.
Speaking on the IGN-hosted “green carpet” of The Matrix Resurrections‘ star-studded premiere in San Francisco Saturday night, Pinkett Smith said she thoroughly enjoyed participating in the classic title, which tied in and expanded on the story of the The Matrix Reloaded, during a time when videogames weren’t taken as seriously as they are today.
“That was so innovative at the time, to like, really kind of combine the idea of the videogame story with the movie and it was just so dope, you know what I mean? And so, I would love to do something like that again” she said.
Pinkett Smith went on to say she still cherishes to this day a cardboard cut-out of herself as Niobe from a videogame store that someone gifted to her back in the day, saying, “I still have it, I love it.”
While many fans have been drooling over the almost photorealistic Unreal Engine 5 experience called The Matrix Awakens, which is now available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game is not so much a linear narrative videogame but more so an interactive sandbox in which you can play around. It remains to be seen if we will ever get a proper follow up to the franchise videogames, the most recent titles for which were The Matrix Online and The Matrix: Path of Neo, both released in 2005 and both featuring Niobe as well.
Catch The Matrix Resurrections in theaters and HBO Max on Dec. 22.