When The Matrix was first released, no one had ever seen a movie quite like it. The Wachowski siblings looked to push the boundaries of both conventional sci-fi, as well as action films.
Below are 10+ behind the scenes secrets from The Matrix that fans didn’t know.
Whether you pick the red pill or the blue pill, you’re in for one wild ride!
1. The sunglasses worn in the film were all custom designs by Blinde.
The company purposely didn’t make them available for purchase , at least at first.
By the time the sequels were released, you could get your very own pair of Morpheus sunglasses for $240 USD.
2. There’s a 4th film in the works!
“Lana Wachowski wrote a beautiful script and a wonderful story that resonated with me,” Keanu said. “That’s the only reason to do it. To work with her again is just amazing.”
It will be amazing to watch him in the role again!
3. Carrie-Ann Moss found one scene particularly challenging.
“There’s this one scene where I run up the walls. It lasts about 30 seconds , but it took months of training. I did that scene for hours and hours, and it was hard.”
Moss admits that when the time came to execute the stunt, she froze.
“I remember when they took the padding off the concrete walls and asked me to do the scene. I couldn’t. I freaked. I went home that day and cried and cried. I was afraid and the fear got me.”
4. The film is steeped in religious undertones and symbolism.
According to Lana Wachowski,
“The Bible seeks to answer a lot of relevant questions for man. In the film we refer to the story of Nebuchadnezzar : he has a dream he can’t remember but keeps searching for an answer.”
She continues by drawing parallels to Christianity and also to Buddhism!
“Then there’s the whole idea of a Messiah . It’s not just a Judeo-Christian myth; it also plays into the search for the reincarnation of the Buddha.”
So Neo is both Jesus and Siddhartha! Neat.
5. The film was originally conceived as a comic book.
The Wachowski siblings both had previous experience working for Marvel.
In 2003, they released their first collected volume comprised of eleven short stories all set within the universe of The Matrix .
6. Almost every cast member sustained at least one semi-serious injury.
As Keanu Reeves recalls,
“Hugo had hip surgery . Carrie-Anne her hip and ankle. Laurence got hit in the head. He got his eyelid sliced open… I couldn’t walk a couple of times.”
7. Nicolas Cage could have been Neo.
When asked if he regretted turning down the part, Cage responded:
“I don’t really have any regrets . I think regret is a waste of time. I try to always move forward as opposed to dwelling on the past or the movies that might have happened.”
But even he can admit that the hindsight isn’t lost on him.
“There certainly were movies that I probably would have benefited from if circumstances in my life allowed me to make them.”
Yeah, I think that’s a bit of an understatement, Nic.
8. The film is color-coded.
All of the scenes that are shot in the Matrix have a noticeable green hue .
By contrast, all of the scenes that are shot in the real world have a subtle hint of blue to them.
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9. The first film was shot entirely in Sydney, Australia.
This was done largely for tax-purposes and helped to greatly reduce the overall budget of the film.
All of the street names that you see are taken from real Chicago streets.
10. Will Smith formally declined the role of Neo in order to make *Wild Wild West*.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Smith said:
“This is one of them stories I’m not proud of, but it’s the truth. But it ain’t like it would have been that. Keanu was perfect. Laurence Fishburne was perfect.”
Smith goes on to say that if he had done the film, Morpheus’ would have been totally different.
“If I had done it then Morpheus wouldn’t have been black because they were looking at Val Kilmer.”
No disrespect to Laurence Fishbourne, because he was amazing, but Val Kilmer would have made a great Morpheus!
11. Keanu Reeves showed up every single day, ready to work.
“Keanu brought complete and utter 100-per-cent dedication, the likes of which we’ve never seen. He made a maniacal effort. This guy trained for months and months. He put himself through insane torture.”
