The Matrix's trans director Lilly Wachowski says Hollywood won’t finance latest film featuring 'wall-to-wall trans cast'

Lilly Wachowski, the director of “The Matrix,” is struggling to secure funding for a new film because it features a “wall-to-wall trans cast.”

Wachowski is currently developing “The Hunted,” a film with a projected budget of roughly $10 million. During an appearance on KCRW’s “The Business” podcast on Friday, Wachowski said Hollywood has been reluctant to film the project due to its cast.

“People like it, but they really don’t want to make it because it’s [got a] wall-to-wall trans cast,” Wachowski said. “I have to get creative and figure out different ways that I can get this in front of people.”

“This is a script that was extremely important for me to write,” Wachowski explained. “It was a response to what is happening in the world for trans people, and it gave me a hugely cathartic receptacle to dump all of my anger and rage and frustration into.”

According to a report by Deadline, the film is reportedly set in a dystopian version of America where transgender people face discrimination and violence. The story follows a series of crimes against the transgender community, eventually leading two transgender-identifying women to search for the perpetrator and uncover a conspiracy that reached the government.  

The film is in development through Anarchists United and Natasha Lyonne’s Ariadne Collective.

Wachowski, whose birth name is Andrew, came out as transgender in March of 2026, a few years after his brother also transitioned. The siblings are known for co-directing “The Matrix,” “The Matrix Reloaded,” and “The Matrix Revolutions.”

“I’m just going to go out and I’m going to grab that trans joy with all of my friends,” Wachowski said. “It’s not the thing that I had imagined it was going to be, but the end result is the same.”