25 years ago, a groundbreaking science fiction film emerged, hailed by many fans as the most influential sci-fi masterpiece in history. This film not only brought revolutionary innovation in its conception, filming techniques, and visual effects but also delved deeply into many philosophical truths, making it a must-watch classic for everyone at the time — this is the “Matrix” series. The first installment of the series premiered in the United States on March 31, 1999, exactly 25 years ago. At that time, the Internet was influenced by the Y2K problem and the technological-induced fear of the end of the world, blurring the boundaries between reality and the virtual world. The plot of the film, depicting “human overreliance on artificial intelligence, ultimately leading to AI backlash against its creators,” still holds profound real-world significance to this day.
“The Matrix” introduced elements from the popular Hong Kong martial arts films of the time, breaking away from the typical Hollywood style of brute force combat. To this day, the film continues to be savored, appreciated, and studied by people. Today, let’s explore the stories behind “The Matrix,” from the stars who initially rejected roles to the challenges encountered during the fundraising and preparation processes, revealing the unique charm of this cinematic masterpiece.
1. Neo has his origins in a comic book.
The inception of “The Matrix” originated from the work of the Wachowski sisters during their time at Marvel Comics’ Razorline imprint in 1993. While writing for the series “Ectokid,” created for the legendary horror novelist Clive Barker, they conceived the character Dexter Mungo, who gained the ability to travel freely through the undead dimension by leaving his own physical body — much like Neo.
2. Will Smith was almost cast as Neo, along with Johnny Depp!
Initially, Keanu Reeves was not the top choice or even considered by everyone in the creative team. According to “The Matrix” composer Don Davis, the Wachowskis initially wanted another heartthrob to play the lead role. Davis said in a 2004 interview, “Johnny Depp was their first choice to play Neo. But Warner Bros. didn’t want Johnny Depp — they wanted Brad Pitt or Val Kilmer.” However, both Pitt and Kilmer declined, and Nicolas Cage also turned down the role due to “family obligations.”
Will Smith was considered for the role of Neo, but he later turned it down because he felt he was “not mature enough as an actor” at the time and “would have messed it up” (he ultimately chose to film “Wild Wild West”). Leonardo DiCaprio also signed on to play the role but was intimidated by the extensive visual effects promised by the film. In the end, Reeves prevailed. However, it turned out that casting Keanu Reeves was a very wise decision. Now that Keanu Reeves has ingrained the iconic image of Neo in our minds, you can boldly imagine what it would be like if it were Will Smith or Johnny Depp portraying Neo instead. What kind of impact would that have? Would it still be the Neo you love?
3. Sandra Bullock and Janet Jackson were both considered for the role of Trinity!
Sandra Bullock, who co-starred with Reeves in another film, “Speed,” was considered for the role of Trinity. The producers were very keen on having her in the film, based on their partnership in “Speed.” Janet Jackson was also invited to play Trinity, but due to scheduling conflicts, she had to drop out. She apparently regretted this decision. Rosie Perez, Salma Hayek, and Jada Pinkett Smith also auditioned, but the producers ultimately chose the relatively unknown Carrie-Anne Moss. Moss had never acted before, which catapulted her to fame.
4. The Wachowski sisters were still the Wachowski brothers at the time.
The directors of “The Matrix,” the Wachowski sisters, were known as the Wachowski brothers at the time. Born in the 1960s, both siblings are transgender. During the production of the first three installments of “The Matrix,” they were publicly known as male. However, in 2008 and 2016 respectively, they came out as transgender women and underwent gender confirmation surgery.
5. The main actors underwent four months of rigorous physical training.
From the beginning, the Wachowski sisters told Keanu Reeves that they needed him to undergo four months of martial arts and Hong Kong-style wire action training. Reeves was eager to undergo the training. Unfortunately, he had just undergone emergency spinal surgery at the time he was to receive training, and could only undergo training wearing a neck brace. In the first few months of his recovery, he was even forbidden from kicking.
Moss experienced this grueling process during auditions, undergoing three-hour physical tests and nearly a week of stunt auditions. Hugo Weaving, who played the villainous agent Smith, injured his femur shortly after training, forcing him to use crutches until he recovered. It is known that Keanu Reeves’ stunt double, Chad Stahelski, dislocated his shoulder, injured his knee, and fractured several ribs during filming.
6. Keanu Reeves shed 15 pounds for a scene.
Keanu Reeves’ dedication and commitment to the filming process earned praise from every crew member. The stunt coordinator recalled Reeves requesting training on rest days, constantly refining his posture. Reeves even went the extra mile by shedding an additional 15 pounds just for a scene where he wakes up in a vat of thick liquid, aiming to make himself look haggard.
7. “The “Bullet Time” sequence took 99 cameras, two years, and $750,000.
One of the most iconic techniques in “The Matrix” is the “Bullet Time,” a term coined by the Wachowskis to describe how characters move at superhuman speed as the camera rotates around them. While it sounded great on paper, the Wachowskis didn’t know how to achieve this on the big screen.
The scene depicted in the script occurs during a rooftop gunfight. Reeves was placed in a full green-screen studio in Sydney, surrounded by 99 (some reports say 120) static cameras arranged in a spiral descent. As wires pulled him backward, the surrounding cameras rapidly snapped photos in succession, while a pair of conventional film cameras captured his motion. The static cameras triggered along the mapped path and each photo was scanned into a computer. This produced a strip of static images akin to a flipbook, which were then strung together with computer-generated “intermediate images.” These images, along with the background and bullets, were composited over nearly two years at a cost of $750,000 to create the final scene seen in the film.
8. The iconic green cascading code seen throughout the entire series isn’t as cryptic as it seems.
Designed by Simon Whiteley, the custom font used to depict the “Matrix” universe in the real world includes Japanese characters, Arabic numerals, and Western Latin letters. In a 2017 interview with CNET, Whiteley credited his Japanese wife for inspiring the design, saying, “I like to tell everybody that the code of ‘The Matrix’ is made out of Japanese sushi recipes.”
9. This conspiracy has been successfully used as a courtroom defense in murder cases.
The film gave rise to the “Matrix defense,” a form of insanity plea that has been used multiple times in criminal cases, where defendants justify their actions by claiming they believe they were plugged into the Matrix. This defense has actually worked on several occasions: Tonda Lynn Ansley of Hamilton, Ohio, was acquitted in July 2002 after fatally shooting her landlady on the grounds of insanity. Vadim Mieseges of San Francisco also provided a Matrix explanation to authorities after murdering his landlady and was declared mentally unfit to stand trial. This was also the defense strategy for Joshua Cooke when he stood trial for the murder of his foster parents in 2003, after which he pleaded guilty.