Danny Boyle is set to direct a dance adaptation of 1999 sci-fi blockbuster “The Matrix.”
Titled “Free Your Mind,” the Warner Bros. Theater Ventures-licensed project is set to debut next October at Factory International, a new arts venue in Manchester, U.K. The production, described as a “large-scale immersive performance,” will serve as the venue’s inaugural show.
“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,” reads the logline.
“This eye-opening production will stretch across the building’s ultra-flexible spaces, responding to them and harnessing the collective energy of the moment.”
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It is an unusual move for Boyle, who won an Oscar for “Slumdog Millionaire,” but not totally unexpected. He has turned his hand to a variety of projects over the course of his career, including directing the Olympic Games opening ceremony for the London 2012 games, which involved corralling 7,500 volunteers as well as professional performs in a series of musical and dance numbers. As part of the ceremony, Boyle also famously directed Queen Elizabeth II and Daniel Craig in a James Bond-themed skit.
Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante is composing the music for the dance show while Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy is choreographing. Boyle’s longtime collaborator Tracey Seaward will produce. Poet playwright Sabrina Mahfouz (“Noughts & Crosses”) and artist Es Devlin are also on board to write and provide large scale sculptures, respectively. The show was commissioned by Factory International.
“The Matrix,” directed by the Wachowskis, was first released in 1999 and spawned three sequels. The most recent, “The Matrix Resurrections,” launched last year.