When The Matrix Resurrections Leaves HBO Max (& When Will It Return?)
Elijah King
Published Mar 29, 2026
The Matrix Resurrections released on HBO Max the same day it came to theaters, but how long will it remain on the streaming service before it leaves?
The Matrix Resurrections released to theaters and to HBO Max on the same day in December 2021 — here’s when the film leaves HBO Max and when it will return to streaming in the future. The Matrix Resurrections, directed by Lana Wachowski, is the fourth installment in The Matrix franchise. Bringing back Keanu Reeves’ Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss’ Trinity, The Matrix Resurrections takes their story in new, yet familiar, directions.
The film, which is the first in the franchise to not be co-directed by Lilly Wachowski, sees the return of the Matrix’s world, pitting Neo and Trinity against a new adversary in the Architect (Neil Patrick Harris). The Matrix Resurrections has grossed around $125 million at the global box office since its release in theaters, with an aggregated score of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes that skews favorably with critics for the most part. While the film’s box office numbers are still considered a disappointment and brings down the chances of a potential Matrix 5, a part of that could be due to The Matrix Resurrections’ availability on HBO Max.
When studio execs at Warner Bros. decided to do a simultaneous day-and-date release for their films in 2021, it didn’t mean the movies — like Dune, The Suicide Squad, and Mortal Kombat — would be available to stream for good once they released to HBO Max. Rather, the films, including The Matrix Resurrections, would only be available to watch on the streaming service for a specific amount of time before leaving HBO Max.
When The Matrix Resurrections Leaves HBO Max
The Matrix Resurrections was released in theaters and to HBO Max on the evening of December 21, 2021. The sequel will be leaving HBO Max on Saturday, January 22, which is 31 days following its original release date. That gives viewers in the U.S. enough time to watch (and rewatch) The Matrix Resurrections, which is chock-full of meta commentary about franchise sequels, for several more days before it finally leaves HBO Max. Following its exit from the streaming platform, fans can rent The Matrix Resurrections, buy it on digital, DVD and Blu-Ray thereafter. But don’t worry, the fourth Matrix film won’t be gone from the streamer forever before it’s available once again.
When Will The Matrix Resurrections Return To HBO Max?
2022 will be different, with Warner Bros. abandoning the simultaneous release plan, with a 45-day theatrical run coming first before a film lands on HBO Max. That makes The Matrix Resurrections the last film to release under that structure. It’s unclear exactly when The Matrix Resurrections will return to HBO Max, but it will likely be back on the platform in April or May of 2022. That window of time is estimated based on previous films that have left the streaming platform and come back at some point.
After the 31-day window, several films like In the Heights and Godzilla vs. Kong returned to the streamer a few months later. In the Heights left HBO Max in July and returned to the streamer at the end of October 2021. Meanwhile, Godzilla vs. Kong left HBO Max at the end of April and began streaming again on August 17, 2021. Additionally, James Gunn's The Suicide Squad — which received a spinoff series called Peacemaker — left the streamer in September and returned three months later in December 2021. With all that in mind, fans should expect The Matrix Resurrections to join the streamer again as early as late April, so keep an eye out.
