Crazy Facts About ‘The Matrix’ Franchise That No One Realized
When The Matrix was released on March 31, 1999, audiences were instantly hooked. The sci-fi film combined action, adventure, and philosophy. Not a lot of movies can make you leave the theatre and wonder if the world you live in is actually reality.
Two decades have gone by and The Matrix Trilogy has aged better than most movies that old. Even better, there is a fourth installment coming soon that will reinvigorate our love for the films. Take a look back at these behind-the-scenes facts from the film that might change how you rewatch them.
A Lot Of Twins On Set
The special effects industry has come a long way since 1999. Instead of using CGI to double characters and actors, the Wachowskis took an old fashioned approach. Remember the woman in red?
During one of Neo's training sessions, a woman in a red dress passes by as Morpheus speaks to Neo. The woman is surrounded by clones, AKA copies of the same people. That wasn't CGI. All of those extras were twins. It was a really cool effect.
How Long It Took To Film The Lobby Scene
One of the best scenes from the first film took some time to put together. The lobby fight has to be one of the most action-packed moments in the movie for multiple reasons. Neo and Trinity come in armed with tons of weapons as they prepare to take down all the guards in the lobby.
It took them ten days of filming for that part. They didn't use any special effects, but instead, all of the gunshots, explosions, and fighting were practical effects.
Fewer Kicks Than You'd Expect
All of the actors who worked on The Matrix received extensive martial arts training. They worked with a fight choreographer to get all those action scenes absolutely perfect. Keanu Reeves almost had to miss out on all of that training, though.
He underwent cervical spine surgery before preparation started, which forced him to wear a neck brace throughout the training. That's why Neo doesn't kick so much in the movie. He mostly relies on his fists.
Those Glasses Never Fell Off
If you watched The Matrix and felt nervous about those sunglasses falling off of Laurence Fishburne's face the whole time, you aren't alone. Those glasses are so signature Morpheous, but did they actually stay in place during filming?
According to Laurence Fishburne, they never fell off once. Fishburne said, "You just gotta be really cool when you wear them." Obviously, Fishburne is the coolest of the cool. Only he could pull off those glasses.
Why Neo Asks So Many Questions
If you really pay attention to this film, you might notice that Neo doesn't do a lot of talking in the movie. He only has 164 lines in the Matrix. Interestingly, 94 of those 164 lines were phrased as questions.
Neo was our gateway into the Matrix, and we, like Neo, had a lot of questions about this new cinematic world. It's a good thing Neo was there to ask all those questions for us.
A Lot Of Research
The Wachowski's put in a ton of work for the production of this film. There's a scene in the first film where an attack helicopter explodes into a building but in slow-motion. The Wachowski's wanted this to be the "definitive action scene," so they asked their special effects team to study like they were trying to get into medical school.
The Wachowski's wanted to make sure that the team knew how glass reacts to an exploding helicopter and all the other types of physics going on. The research took three months, and the scene was almost removed because it was starting to cost a fortune. The idea came to life, however, thanks to nearly every kind of special effect available at the time.
Will Smith Turned Down The Role
Jada Pinkett-Smith is in this franchise, how cool would it have been if her husband was too? According to Will Smith, the Wachowski's asked Smith to play the role of Neo. This was around the time Smith was doing a ton of blockbuster films and decided to turn it down to do Wild Wild West instead.
Smith admittedly said he didn't understand the vision that the Wachowski's had pitched to him. Had he knew how epic the movie was going to turn out, we'd like to think he would have accepted the part.
His Own Stunts
As you may or may not recall from the first film of the trilogy, Neo had a phone delivered to him at his office. It was Morpheus on the other end giving him instructions to escape and that included scaling the building.
Many might not be aware, but Keanu Reeves climbed out of the window. He didn't have a stuntman and was 34 floors up, which is all incredibly dangerous. Reeves is one of the few actors that do their stunts.
The Deal With The White Shirts
If you pay close attention to the three films, you will notice a subtle yet noticeable tint change on screen depending on where the characters are. While in the Matrix, scenes have a green tint to them to simulate looking through a computer monitor. When in the real world, there is natural coloring.
Costume designer Kym Barrett wanted to make this effect pop more, so she put every lighter colored article of clothing worn by a cast member through a greenwash. It's subtle, but you can't miss it after you know it now.
How The Matrix Was Understood
Because of social media today, most movies with a less than simple plot are thoroughly explained online by bloggers, journalists, Redditors, and Youtubers. The Matrix might be one of the most conceptual complex films ever made, and back in 1999, viewers couldn't turn to a Youtube video to help them figure it out.
That's probably why the cast of The Matrix was suggested to read a dense piece of postmodern philosophy called Simulacra and Simulation. That book would help them understand the concept of the film.
Not A Random Name
In the first movie, Neo is at work at his company called MetaCortex. Sounds like your average company name, but it meant more than that. All you have to do is break down the meaning of each word. Meta means to transcend or go beyond.
Add that with cortex, which means the outer layer of matter surrounding the brain. The two together stand for transcending the boundaries of the brain, which is what Neo ends up doing.
A Sad And Startling Discovery
In the movie, actor Hugo Weaving played Smith, and he did a fantastic job. In one particular scene, Smith is required to do some heavy stunt work, so the Wachowskis brought in several stunt doubles for Weaving.
When Weaving saw all of his stunt doubles in their wigs and makeup dressed up to look like him, he realized that he was going bald. Up until that point, he thought that his hair looked totally fine.
Taking A Risk
The Wachowski's are great. One thing that makes them so unique is their ability to take high reward risks. The Matrix was a high budget film, but Warner Bros. only gave the Wachowski's $10 million for it even though they wanted $80.
They elected to spend the entire $10 million on the opening scene with Trinity suspended in the air and frozen in time before she kicks the security guard to smithereens. The studio was so impressed by it; they ended up giving the dynamic duo the original $80 million they asked to get at the start.
Keanu Reeves Is A Really Nice Guy
For a while, there was a rumor going around that Keanu Reeves gave a lot of his salary from the movie to the film's special effects team. This isn't entirely true. People believed it because Keanu comes off as a really nice person.
The truth is that he signed away his rights to a few residual payments instead. That way, the producers could put a lot of the film's profits back into the franchise. He still is a very nice guy, though.
Reusing The Set
Did you know that around 97% of the materials used in The Matrix Reloaded and Revolution ended up getting recycled? That's a ton of items that would have gone to waste if they didn't recycle.
A large amount of wood went to Mexico to build low-income housing. Not only was that a fantastic idea that helped out Mexican communities, but it also made for a more sustainable production throughout the series. If only every movie set did something like this...
The Secret In The Rain
In the iconic fight during The Matrix Revolutions that saw Neo go toe-to-toe with Smith had some symbolism to it. As they duked it out in the "rain," not all of that was water. Some of it was single lines of Matrix code.
They did this to imply that the Matrix started to destabilize. If you were watching on IMAX, then you would have caught the subtle trick reasonably easy. On smaller screens, it looks like rain that is jumping like static during the close-ups.
Marketing The Film
Marketing is always a big part of a release. For movies, there are trailers, pre-screenings, soundtracks, and of course, movie posters. Many people admired The Matrix posters so much they began stealing them! Whether it was the theater employees or eager fans, they started coming up missing.
To fix this, the studio sent posters in a tube labeled with Caddyshack 2 and The Replacements. Confused, theaters didn't open them up. The day before the release, they realized what was happening and scrambled to get the materials up!
A Reference To George Orwell's 1984
In George Orwell's novel, 1984, Room 101 is used by Big Brother as a torture chamber where victims are subjected to their worst fears and phobias to brainwash and manipulate them. It's no coincidence that Thomas Anderson's apartment is also Room 101, the home of a secluded hacker, obsessed with finding meaning to his life.
His apartment even resembles Room 101 in 1984 as it's dark, depressing, and overall uncomfortable. There is another nod in The Matrix Reloaded when Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity realize their lives are at risk after walking through a hallway with "10" posted at the front.
Two Films At The Same Time
Although it's still quite impressive that two movies in a sequel were released within just months of one another, the original plan was even more ambitious. The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were original filmed back to back and then edited at the same exact time.
Each film spent one year in pre-production, one year in production, and slightly more than a year for post-production. This was done so that The Matrix Revolutions would be released just weeks after The Matrix Reloaded. Unfortunately it didn't work out how they intended.
The Matrix Defense Holds Up In Court
In 2002, a woman named Tonda Ansley murdered her landlord in cold blood. As she was being arrested for her crimes, she defended herself saying "They commit a lot of crimes in The Matrix." She continued with this defense during her trial proclaiming that "Our world is just an illusion generated by our machine overlords."
Unbelievably, the jury sympathized with Ansley. This led to several other people using "The Matrix Defense," which in some cases saved killers from going to prison or facing the death penalty. This is most likely because they were classified as insane.
Religious And Mythological Symbolism In The Film
The Matrix Reloaded is not a simple film by any means. The movie is full of religious and mythological symbolism.
There is a reference to the 27th book of the New Testament (AKA Revelation) in the scene in which the Keymaker explains to Neo how to reach the architect. During his explanation, he states that they will have to knock out 27 blocks of power, giving them 314 seconds before the power reroutes once again. Those numbers reference scripture 3:14 which discusses witnessing the source of creation, or in this case, the Architect.
Another Matrix?
Rumors and comments about there being a fourth installment to the Matrix Trilogy have swirled around the internet for quite a while. It wasn't until recently that someone important made confirmations. The director of John Wick 3, Chad Stahelski spilled the beans.
"I'm super happy that the Wachowski's are not just doing a Matrix, but they're expanding what we all loved," Stahelski told Yahoo Movies UK. No news yet on any dates, but it sounds like it's currently in the works.
Figuring Out The Exact Timeline
The Matrix can be hard to follow let alone yet alone understand the exact timeline. Especially with the films being so spread out, it’s easy to forget how long has actually passed in the series. As it turns out, things moved rather quickly within The Matrix universe.
It took exactly one year and seven months to succeed in getting Mr. Anderson to save the world. When Trinity and Cypher first speak, the trace program states that the date is 2-10-98. Then, towards the end of The Matrix Revolutions, the trace program reads 9-18-99
The Loop Highway
In The Matrix Reloaded, the 1.4-mile three lane loop highway was built specifically for the film. It was used for quite an exciting chase scene and it came out beautifully. The set was built on the decommissioned Alameda Point Navy Base, with the scene taking over three months to film.
After filming was complete it was promptly destroyed. On top of that, almost all of the over 100 cars donated by GM were destroyed in the process too.
Another Religious Reference
Along with some of the character's names and references to scripture by the Keymaker, another Biblical reference can be seen in Smith's license plate. At the beginning of The Matrix Reloaded, Smith pulls up in an Audi that has the license plate IS 5416.
This is another reference to the bible which is Isaiah 54:16. The scripture reads: Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy."
The Movie Was Banned In Egypt
You're probably aware that certain TV shows and movies receive bans all the time. It's always for different reasons, but one common theme for banishment is too much violence. That was the case in Egypt for Matrix Reloaded.
They banned it due to its content and how it deals with different religious themes. The censorship board said the violent scenes could "harm social peace." We aren't saying they're wrong, but they missed out on a good film!
Allaya Was Going To Play Link's Wife
Will Smith was going to play the role of Neo, but he kindly rejected. In a different case, filmmakers had another star in mind for a minor role. The woman who played the wife of Link (driver of Morpheus' ship) was Marvin Gaye's daughter Nona Gaye.
Sadly, that was initially supposed to go to singer and actress Aaliyah. She tragically died in a plane crash coming back from the Bahamas after shooting a music video.
Auditioning For Half A Part
Initially, when Belinda McClory auditioned for the role of Switch, the plan was that she was only going to play half of the role. This is because Switch was written to be played by a pair of androgynous character.
In the real world, the character would have been played by a male actor, whereas in the Matrix, the role would be played by a female. This is why the character's name was Switch. Warner Bros. didn't like the idea, so McClory ended up playing both roles.
The Real Identity Of Thomas Andersen
As the trilogy comes to an end and we see our hero Neo risk it all by sacrificing his life, he didn't do it in vain. All of those bouts with the agents finally led to his demise in Matrix Revolutions.
At the end of the film, the Oracle sits on a bench that has a small metal dedication on it. It reads "In Memory of Thomas Andersen." If you didn't catch it in the films, that's the name Neo gets in the first Matrix movie.
A Case Of Deja Vu
Black cats carry a lot of mystery with them. They make people superstitious as well due to the idea that if one crosses you, then you will have a ton of bad luck. The allure surrounding these felines allowed them to give audiences a faint case of deja vu.
At the end of The Matrix Revolutions, a black cat walks by. That's the same black cat from The Matrix and they even meow the same way.
Comic Inspiration
The Wachowskis took a lot of inspiration from other texts while creating their most famous film. Before the Wachowskis worked in the film business, they worked in the comic business. Lana Wachowski notes that "Because we grew up on comic books and the Tolkien trilogy, one of the things we're interested in is bringing serial fiction to the cinema."
Many of the things that make The Matrix unique were actually inspired by the comic book series The Invisibles by Grant Morrison.
Creating The Costumes
The outfits that the characters wore in the Matrix looked super fancy and futuristic. They look like if you wanted to buy them it would cost you a pretty penny, but that wasn't the case.
According to designer Kym Barrett, she says, "Often we're using 3-D printing, we're using all kinds of new textile technologies," Barrett explained, adding, "we're inventing machines to do things." They used tech to make Trinity's costume that they made with cheap PVC look as nice as it did.
Familiar Places And Locations
The Wachowski's did an amazing job with this trilogy. They paid attention to detail like no other and only the savviest of filmgoers probably picked up on the tiny details.
At the end of The Matrix, Neo makes an important phone call on a street corner. In The Matrix Revolutions, Neo and Smith fight in that same location, the corner of Pitt, Hunter, and O'Connell Streets in Australia. The phone booth is the giveaway.
A Long Fight
There are plenty of scenes throughout the trilogy that are truly memorable. One cannot forget about the freeway chase scene or when Neo had to escape his office building. One of the most fun scenes was when Neo fought many Agent Smiths, also known as the "Burly Brawl."
What's crazy about it is that it took 27 days to shoot. Some feature-length films take that long to finish entirely! Bowling balls knocking down pins were the sound effects used to simulate punches and kicks.
A Fully Illustrated Comic
The Wachowskis were an unproven directing duo before The Matrix. All they had to their name was two sub-par films, one of which they tried to have their name removed because it was so awful (it was a Sylvester Stallone piece).
Warner Bros. appreciated their other film, which led to a chance at shooting the movie. As a result, the Wachowski's went to comic artists and asked to have them turn the script into a shot-for-shot storyboard of the whole film. It ended up being their 600-page proof-of-concept that gave Warner Bros. the confidence to fund this movie.
Jet Li Almost Played Seraph
There are a ton of high profile actors and actresses that could've been in those Matrix movies. We already told you about Will Smith and Aaliyah, but another one is Jet Li.
That's right, Li was going to play the role of Seraph in The Matrix Reloaded. Li asked to receive the same amount of money as Reeves but the studio and producers refused. After they told him no, he turned down the part. Collin Chou eventually picked up the slack.
A Synchronized Event
Movies don't usually have a simultaneous release. They have a specific set date they will come out in different countries, and that's all you get. In an unprecedented move, The Matrix Revolutions had a simultaneous global release.
That means it opened at the same time in every major city across the world on November 5, 2003. The times were: nine A.M. in New York, 11 P.M. in Tokyo, six A.M. in Los Angeles, and one A.M. in Sydney.
Connery Didn't Get It
Another one bites the dust. We've explained a good chunk of what went into creating this movie. Things like the actors having to read books and take training to prepare for their roles aren't done for every movie.
The role of the Architect could have gone to Sean Connery. He would have filled that part perfectly, but in an interview, Connery admitted that he "didn't understand the concept of the movie." Maybe he should have read the books!
Getting On Board
Usually, when it comes to making films and getting everyone on the same page, the actors and everyone else involved go through the final script before they decide to be a part of it all. In this scenario, a few actors knew before even looking at the script that they wanted to do it.
Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Jada Pinkett-Smith (Niobe), and Anthony Brandon Wong (Ghost) all hopped on board, trusting that the script and production would be amazing without reading it.
Cheaper In Australia
We've revealed that they filmed this movie in Australia, but isn't that such an obscure location to shoot? Not many blockbuster films get shot out there, so there must have been a reason.
Since they did it there, they cut the film budget in half! If they shot in America, it would have cost $180 million. They kept it well under $100 million thanks to doing it in Australia. These days, $180 million is low for action movies.
