Lilly Wachowski’s $10 Million Trans-Cast Thriller Stalls for Lack of Hollywood Funding

Filmmaker Lilly Wachowski, co-director of *The Matrix* trilogy, reports that no major Hollywood studio will finance her upcoming dystopian political thriller The Hunted because it features an all-transgender cast. The project, budgeted at roughly $10 million, remains in development with Anarchists United and Natasha Lyonne’s Ariadne collective.

Matrix director claims she can’t finance new film because it has fully trans cast

Wachowski, 58, publicly transitioned in March 2016 after a career that includes *Bound*, the three *Matrix* films, *Speed Racer*, *Cloud Atlas* and the Netflix series *Sense8*. She has described the *Matrix* saga as an allegory for transgender experience.

Variety Magazine

• August 7 – On KCRW’s *The Business* podcast, Wachowski explains that studios “like” the script but refuse to fund it because of its “wall-to-wall trans cast.”

Hot Air

• August 8 – Wachowski stages a live table read of the screenplay at Los Angeles’ Dynasty Typewriter theatre, presenting the work to audiences without a film budget.

Hollywood Reporter

• Estimated production budget: $10 million (? £7.4 million).

Hot Air

• Cast: entirely transgender (specific actors not named in sources).

TheMix.net

• Development partners: Anarchists United (artist-owned nonprofit) and Ariadne Collective (Natasha Lyonne).

Matrix director claims she can’t finance new film because it has fully trans cast

Wachowski characterises the script as a personal response to the current anti-trans climate, saying it provides a “hugely cathartic receptacle” for her anger and frustration. She notes that while the screenplay has been positively received, financiers are unwilling to back a film with a “wall-to-wall trans cast.” To keep the project visible, she is exploring alternative distribution methods, including the live table read and potential non-traditional financing routes.

TheMix.net

John S., writing for *HotAir*, argues that studios’ reluctance may also stem from the Wachowskis’ track record of financially underperforming films such as *Cloud Atlas* and *Jupiter Ascending*, which together lost substantial sums after production and marketing costs. He suggests that the $10 million budget is modest for a studio but may be viewed as risky given past box-office results and the script’s niche focus.

Hot Air

Wachowski’s struggle underscores ongoing debates about representation, risk assessment, and the willingness of major studios to invest in stories that deviate from traditional casting norms.

Hollywood Reporter

• “People like it, but they really don’t want to make it because it’s [got a] wall-to-wall trans cast,” — Lilly Wachowski, the matrix director

Variety Magazine

• “I’m just going to go out and I’m going to grab that trans joy with all of my friends,” — Lilly Wachowski, the matrix director

Variety Magazine

• “I’m just going to go out and I’m going to grab that trans joy with all of my friends. And we’re going to hopefully experience this together.” — Lilly Wachowski, the matrix director

Hollywood Reporter

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

TheMix.net