‘Matrix’ siblings to debut TV series on Netflix

This picture taken on January 21, 2013 shows (L-R) American director Lana Wachowski and her bother Andy Wachowski attending a press conference to promote their new movie Cloud Atlas in Beijing.AFP FILE PHOTO

LOS ANGELES — The siblings behind the blockbuster “Matrix” sci-fi movie franchise will distribute their first TV series via Netflix next year, the Internet video streaming service said Wednesday.

In a statement, Netflix said Andy and Lana Wachowski’s “Sense8” — which it called “a gripping global tale of minds linked and souls hunted” — would go out exclusively to its members “to watch instantly in late 2014.”

Primarily a platform for viewing recent and not-so-recent films and TV shows, Netflix branched out into original programming with the political thriller “House of Cards” starring Kevin Spacey.

Breaking with convention, it released all 13 episodes of “House of Cards” in one go on February 1 to the delight of fans of so-called “binge viewing.” A second season is in the pipeline.

The Wachowskis wrote and directed “The Matrix” and its two sequels, as well as last year’s “Cloud Atlas” starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. They start work next month on “Jupiter Ascending” with Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis.