Lilly Wachowski, the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Matrix trilogy, has spoken candidly about the appropriation of her work by right-wing ideologues, describing it as a frustrating example of how fascism distorts artistic meaning.
In a recent conversation on the So True with Caleb Hearon podcast, the trans director addressed how conservative movements have co-opted imagery and concepts from her films for purposes that directly contradict their original intent.
When asked about right-wing figures, including members of the Trump administration, embracing Matrix terminology and philosophy, Wachowski expressed a mixture of resignation and clear-eyed analysis.
“Right-wing ideology appropriates absolutely everything,” she explained. “They appropriate left-wing points of view and they mutate them for their own propaganda, for their own to obfuscate what the real message is. This is what fascism does.”
The director, who transitioned in the mid-2010s, reflected on how releasing art into the world means surrendering control over its interpretation. She compared the phenomenon to “all of the crazy mutant theories around the Matrix films and what the crazy ideologies that those films helped create,” acknowledging that artists must ultimately let go of their work. “People are going to interpret it however they interpret it,” she said, though she admitted the misappropriation still troubles her.
Wachowski’s perspective on art-making has evolved significantly since her transition. After completing the first season of Sense8, she walked away from filmmaking entirely, exhausted both professionally and personally.
“I had lost a little artistic spark for myself,” she recalled. During this period, she explored standup comedy and painting, eventually reconnecting with her late mother through shared art classes.
Her return to the industry came through the Showtime series Work in Progress, where she served as executive producer. The experience proved transformative, showing her a new purpose: championing underrepresented voices. “Getting to work on that show and hiring the people that we hired—queers and trans people—the crew looked like Chicago, it was completely diverse,” she said. “I was like, okay, there’s something left for me to do in this business, and that is to bring underrepresented voices to the forefront.”
Now, Wachowski approaches her creative work with greater consciousness about serving herself and her community. She views storytelling as a tool for healing and resistance, particularly during a time when trans people face increasing political hostility.
When asked what advice she’d give young queer artists navigating this challenging moment, her response was unequivocal: “We are in this period of unmaking, and the only way to counteract that is to make. You have to fill up that widening void that is festering in front of all of us.”
For Wachowski, queer art represents joy in the face of erasure. “Queerness for me is about joy,” she emphasized. “Our art and our stories send out these signals to each other that we’re not going anywhere. Those voids are nothing compared to what we bring to the table here.”
Despite the appropriation of her earlier work, Wachowski remains focused on creating stories that affirm trans existence and community. She recently completed a script with her partner that processes “trans rage” through action storytelling, featuring what she describes as “an idealized family, a network of trans people coming together and supporting each other.”
Her message to those who’ve twisted her work’s meaning is implicit but powerful: the original creators are still here, still making art, and no amount of misappropriation can erase the revolutionary, trans-affirming heart of their stories.