The Wachowskis’ The Matrix hit audiences like a speeding bullet in 1999 with its staggering action scenes, mind-boggling visual effects, and trippy storyline about a bored office worker realizing that the entire universe is a computer simulation. After the duo’s cyberpunk masterpiece became an acclaimed instant classic and a box office smash, it wasn’t long before Warner Bros. tapped them to make sequels. So, the siblings rounded out The Matrix trilogy with two more installments, Reloaded and Revolutions, which shot back-to-back.
The sequels expanded on the worldbuilding and further developed each major character arc. While the sequels' reception isn't as unanimous as the original, The Matrix as a whole is still a highly regarded sci-fi franchise that changed the genre and the world of film as well. Now that a fourth installment is on its way, here's a look back at the original trilogy.
Will Smith Turned Down The Role Of Neo
Will Smith was initially offered the role of Neo in The Matrix, but he turned it down to star in Wild Wild West instead. While The Matrix ended up being a much bigger hit than Wild Wild West, Smith explained that the latter was easier to grasp at the pitch stage than the former.
The Wachowskis’ first choice to play Neo was Johnny Depp, while the studio preferred either Val Kilmer or Brad Pitt. Leonardo DiCaprio, Ewan McGregor, and David Duchovny all turned down the role before Keanu Reeves was cast.
Carrie-Anne Moss Did Some Of Her Own Motorcycle Stunts For The Matrix Reloaded
Although The Matrix Reloaded is generally considered to be a lesser sequel to the original, its highway chase isn't just a trilogy stand-out but one of the most breathtaking action set pieces ever committed to film.
Throughout the chase, Trinity zips around on a motorcycle. Reportedly, Carrie-Anne Moss did some of her own stunts for this scene, making a rewatch of this chase all the more exhilarating.
Keanu Reeves Earned $400,000 For Each Minute Of Screen Time In The Matrix Revolutions
Since Neo is basically asleep for most of The Matrix Revolutions, Keanu Reeves doesn’t have an awful lot of screen time -- even if he is the central character of the trilogy who also ends the eons long war between the humans and the machines.
He was reportedly paid $15 million to appear in the trilogy's conclusion, which works out at around $400,000 per minute of screen time. Can't say the sequels weren't worth it.
Warner Bros. Forced The Wachowskis To Add Exposition To The Script
When Warner Bros. were presented with the mind-boggling screenplay for The Matrix, executives forced the Wachowskis to add a bunch of exposition to the dialogue. Given the amount of philosophical and existential concepts in the first movie alone, this shouldn't be too much of a surprise.
The producers didn’t think the original script made any sense, so they felt that the lofty sci-fi concepts required a lot of explaining. This could explain that one scene in the original where Morpheus literally stops the movie to explain to Neo (and the audience) what exactly is going on in the world.
The Wachowskis Could’ve Directed Batman Begins Instead Of The Matrix Sequels
After the success of The Matrix, Warner Bros. executives offered the Wachowskis the choice between finishing their Matrix trilogy with back-to-back sequels or rebooting the then-dead Batman franchise.
Since The Matrix was a passion project for the duo, the decision wasn’t very difficult for them. The abandoned Batman reboot would evolve into the project that would become Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. While it was nice seeing the siblings wrap up their sci-fi epic by their own accord, a Wachowski-helmed Batman movie would've been pretty awesome.
The Second Oracle Played Gloria Foster’s Sister On Broadway
When Gloria Foster passed away between shooting The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, her role as The Oracle had to be recast, with her new appearance being made canon and explained in-universe as well.
Casting director Mali Finn remembered that Foster and Mary Alice had played sisters in a long-running Broadway play, so Alice was chosen as Foster’s replacement.
The Matrix's Opening Scene Needed 6 Months Of Prep Work
The opening action scene in the first Matrix movie all but set the tone for the movie and the sequels to come. With its blend of then innovative camera work, wuxia-styled martial arts, gunplay, and even some vehicular action, Trinity's introduction did a great job of hooking audiences into this strange new world.
It's no surprise, then, that this sequence alone required six months of training from the actors and stunt performers. All that effort paid off, as it only took just four days to shoot, which is pretty quick when compared to most other complex action scenes.
Sean Connery Was The First Choice To Play The Architect
When the Wachowskis were casting for The Matrix Reloaded, their first choice for the role of The Architect was Sean Connery. However, like pretty much anyone who watched Reloaded at least once, Connery found The Architect’s monologues to be borderline nonsensical, ergo he turned down the part.
The directors eventually came to realize that Connery turning down the part was for the best, because his iconic presence would’ve distracted from the Architect’s expository scenes. The role instead went to Helmut Bakaitis.
The Wachowskis Wanted To Release Reloaded & Revolutions Only Weeks Apart
The trend of shooting sequels back-to-back really exploded in the 2000's, with Peter Jackson shooting The Lord of the Rings trilogy as one giant production and the Wachowskis shooting The Matrix sequels at the same time.
Since both movies were already completed, the Wachowskis wanted to release The Matrix Revolutions just weeks after The Matrix Reloaded, but Warner Bros. wanted a six-month gap in between each film for marketing purposes.
Laurence Fishburne Was One Of The Only Actors Who Understood The Script On His First Reading
In the earliest development of The Matrix, most of the people who read the Wachowskis’ script -- from studio executives to Will Smith -- were baffled by it. Russell Crowe, who was considered for Morpheus, said he couldn’t get past page 42.
When Laurence Fishburne (who would later become Morpheus in the trilogy) first read the script, he couldn’t understand why other people who read it were confused because, for him, it made complete sense. His only concern was that it would be too smart to be greenlit as a genuine blockbuster by a major Hollywood studio.