The Matrix (1999)

Believe the unbelievable.

Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.

Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

Written by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

Music by: Don Davis

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Gloria Foster, Joe Pantoliano, Marcus Chong, Julian Arahanga, Matt Doran, Belinda McClory

Genre: Action, Science Fiction

Released: 1999-03-31

Runtime: 136 minutes

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The Matrix (1999): trivia & fun facts

Fun facts

• During the rehearsal of the lobby scene, in which Trinity runs on a wall, Moss injured her leg and was ultimately unable to film the shot in one take.
• The Wachowskis initially scheduled four months of training, beginning in October 1997.
• When both declined, Leonardo DiCaprio initially accepted the role, but ultimately turned it down because he did not want to do a visual-effects-heavy film directly after Titanic.
• Filming began in March 1998 and wrapped in August 1998; principal photography took 118 days.
• Reeves's injury and his insufficient training with wires before filming meant he was unable to perform the triple kicks satisfactorily and became frustrated with himself, causing the scene to be postponed.
• In the UK, The Matrix earned $4.9 million in its first three days, ranking it as the third-highest opening weekend for a Warner Bros. film, behind Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, while also delivering the third-highest opening weekend of the year, after A Bug's Life and Notting Hill.
• In North America, it went on to become the fifth highest-grossing film of 1999 and the highest-grossing R-rated film of that year.
• In 2012, it was placed 122nd on the list of highest-grossing films of all time, and the second-highest-grossing film in the Matrix franchise after The Matrix Reloaded ($742.1 million).
• A fourth film, The Matrix Resurrections, was directed by Lana Wachowski and was released in 2021.
• Additionally, this was the biggest opening weekend for a Keanu Reeves film since Speed in 1994.
• The film was a box office success, grossing over $460 million on a $63 million budget.
• After reading the script, Moss stated that at first, she did not believe she had to do the extreme acrobatic actions as described in the script.
• In 2001, The Matrix placed 66th in the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Thrills" list.
• In 2009, the film was ranked 39th on Empire's reader-, actor- and critic-voted list of "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time".
• In February 2022, the film was named one of the five finalists for Oscars Cheer Moment as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Oscars Fan Favorite" contest, for the "bullet time" scene, finishing in fifth place.

Source: Wikipedia

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