Despite the global pandemic, several films have been able to complete their production and filming. Matrix 4, a long-awaited follow-up to the original Matrix franchise, was one of the most recent films to end production. Of course, no film production is complete without a wrap party, and Matrix 4 had one, which was attended by the majority of the cast and crew, including Keanu Reeves. Unfortunately for them, the particular gathering is currently being investigated in Germany for possible violations of lockdown regulations.

According to reports, the wrap party took advantage of a loophole to enable 200 members of The Matrix 4 cast and crew to attend. Onlookers would have thought filming was taking place because the cast members were dressed up in costumes. This loophole meant that meetings of more than 50 people, which is the current maximum in Germany, might take place. According to the Independent, officials in the city of Potsdam will undertake hearings into the events, with the claims that the “film shoot” was actually a party being taken into consideration.

The city said that “ongoing coordination between the health department and the studios on the subject of infection protection during filming” had taken place, but that “no event was registered” for the purported party on Wednesday evening.

Because of the Coronavirus outbreak, production on the blockbuster sci-fi sequel was paused for months, forcing it to be delayed by over a year, but once it restarted, everything looked to be moving smoothly.

To be fair to the actors and crew, safety procedures were nonetheless followed, according to sources. Before the event, coronavirus tests were given, and masks were recommended, albeit they may not have been fully enforced. The number of persons invited outside of the cast and crew is yet unknown. If the celebration was only open to the cast and staff who were already there, no outsiders would be exposed, and the production could get away with technically breaking the guidelines. However, if a large number of individuals from outside the production attend, the possibility of the virus spreading drastically increases, and the studio may face huge fines for harming the public.

“No directorial instructions were given, there was no clapperboard, and no one was filming,” an attendee told the German newspaper of the party, which was apparently organized by producers Lana and Lilly Wachowski and nicknamed Icecream Teamevent.

The fact that the production may have broken certain laws during the epidemic, which is not a good look, is distracting from what the majority of those involved would prefer to see people talking about right now: the fact that principal filming on The Matrix 4 is now complete. Fans will be ecstatic to learn that the unexpected new chapter is one step closer to becoming a reality. While reshoots are probable in the future, the film is currently in post-production, which will very certainly be substantial given that it is a Matrix film. It’s expected in December 2021.

After suffering a long hiatus due to the epidemic, it would be odd for The Matrix 4’s crew to celebrate the conclusion of production by holding a massive party that completely disregards all health and safety regulations. For the time being, we’ll simply have to wait and see what the inquiry uncovers.