When I look ahead to the rest of Netflix’s 2024 movie and TV release dates, I didn’t expect to see Keanu Reeves’s name attached to one of the streaming service’s popular docuseries. While the actor is best known for action movies like The Matrix, which changed his life and fame forever, he’s also apparently interested in the larger conversations around ancient civilizations, even if there’s some controversy following his latest’s credits findings.
Keanu Reeves Has Joined A Popular But Controversial Netflix Series
Keanu Reeves will be part of the upcoming second season of Ancient Apocalypse, which is dropping for those with a Netflix subscription on October 16. Deadline has reported that the Hollywood star will be featured in the docuseries to bring “his insights into storytelling” in terms of how it can preserve culture as British writer and journalist Graham Hancock explores the history of the Americas by going to places like New Mexico, Peru and Brazil.
Earlier this week, Netflix released a sneak peek clip on YouTube of the season and it features Keanu Reeves. Take a look:
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The first season of Ancient Apocalypse arrived on the platform back in 2022 to explore the possibility of an advanced ancient civilization across the world. In anticipation of the new season, Hancock suggests that the Americas have remained “largely unexplored” in the context of his hypothesis, and he hopes his findings will “spark healthy debate” among the archaeology community.
What Is The Controversy Around Ancient Apocalypse?
When Season 1 was released, the Society for American Archeology published an open letter to Netflix’s content boss Bela Bajaria and ITN CEO Rachel Corp with accusations that the docuseries is “publicly disparaging” of archaeologists and also devalues the profession of archeology as a whole on the “basis of false claims and disinformation.”
Hancock’s claims have also been suggested to carry “racist” implications, per Sapiens.org, because his views suggest that Indigenous people are not the source of creating their own aspects of their cultures. In early 2024, this controversy was then heightened when the new season was filmed in the Grand Canyon and Chaco Canyon, where there are homages to the cultural and religious beliefs the series is allegedly disputing. Tribal officials objected to the show being filmed in these places and the series’ producers ultimately pulled their permits and decided to film outside of the U.S.
With Keanu Reeves now associated with Ancient Apocalypse, it’s highly likely that the actor, whose career has grossed over $2 million in box office numbers over the years, could be roped into the controversy as well. However, we’ll have to wait to see what the reception is when the docuseries comes out. We’ll keep you updated, but for now, we’re also excited about Reeves’ recent update on Constantine 2’s script.