Smith

[ominous music playing]

Sorry. Uh, it’s The Boss.

“Billions of people just living out their lives… oblivious.” 

I always loved that line. 

You wrote that one, yeah? 

Every time I stand here, 

I mean, O-M-G. It’s so perfect, 

it’s gotta be fake. Right?

[chuckles softly] 

Yeah. Sure.

Have a seat.

[man sighs]

Smoke?

I thought you quit.

I quit calling it a habit. 

Now it’s just a guilty pleasure.

Oh. Maybe I can make this easy for you. I know Binary is over budget.

This is not about Binary, Tom. 

It’s bigger than that.

 This is about our future, 

which is a sticky subject, 

given our past.

What do you mean?

How’s the therapy?

Good.

Any… episodes?

No.

That’s terrific. 

Look, Tom, I know we’ve always 

had our differences. 

What did you say about 

our first meeting? 

We had all the chemistry 

of an FBI interrogation.

[muffled yell]

[scoffs]

But look at this place. 

We did this. Together.

Yeah.

Now what? Things have changed. The market’s tough. 

I’m sure you can understand why our beloved parent company, Warner Bros., has decided to make 

a sequel to the trilogy.

What?

They informed me 

they’re gonna do it 

with or without us.

I thought they couldn’t do that.

[exhales] 

Oh, they can. 

And they made it clear 

they’ll kill our contract 

if we don’t cooperate.

Really?

I know you said 

The Story was over for you, 

but that’s The Thing About Stories —

They never really end, do they? 

We’re still telling the same stories we’ve always told,

 just with different names, 

different faces 

and I have to say 

I’m kind of excited. 

After all these years, to be going back to where it all started. 

Back to The Matrix. 

I’ve spoken to Marketing…

[sinister music playing]

[distorted voice]

[in normal voice] 

Tom?

Yeah.

Are you all right?

[exhales nervously] 

Yeah.