Hugo Weaving reveals why he is not in 'Matrix 4'

Hugo Weaving is best remembered for uttering the line "Mr. Anderson" in "The Matrix" franchise, and those hoping to see him return in the 4th film are in for a disappointment.

The actor revealed in an interview that he was already on board to appear in the sequel. He said he liked what he read from the script and started negotiations with director Lana Wachowski.

However, at the time that he received the offer to return to the franchise, he was also doing a play. There were some scheduling conflicts that hampered his appearance.

"Lana was very keen for me to be a part of [The Matrix 4]. I really wanted to because I'm very, very fond of all of them," Weaving told Collider during an interview about his new film "Measure for Measure."

"I had some initial reticence about the idea of going back to revisit 'The Matrix,' after having already done three films, but then I read the script and got an offer to my agent," he continued adding that he immediately responded yes and went into negotiation.

"I was doing a play, at the time, but we were working out dates and things so that I could do both. And then, Lana decided that she didn't wanna change her dates, so I couldn't do it. In a nutshell, that's what happened," the actor explained.

Weaving played the villainous Agent Smith in the first three movies "The Matrix," "The Matrix Reloaded," and "The Matrix Revolutions." He has fond memories shooting the films with the Wachowski sisters. He remembered they first started working on the movie at Fox Studios in Sydney, where he was at during his interview.

"Every time I come here, there are a million things. It was a very happy, exciting time, which went over a long period of time, so we were very much like a family," he recalled adding that they "travelled the world together, many times, and worked in San Francisco and L.A., but mostly in Sydney." He remembered that all the films were mostly shot at the Sydney studios.

Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith are set to return in "The Matrix 4." Aside from Weaving, Laurence Fishburne is also not in the sequel.