Entertainment Sleuth/IGN.com Reports (with all credits and ownership rights cited herein):
The Matrix 2
Genre: Science Fiction/Action/Sequel.
Studio: Warner Bros.
Production Company: Village Roadshow.
Project Phase: In Development.
Who's In It: Keanu Reeves (Neo); Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus); Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity); Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith?); Jada Pinkett Smith (Niobi); Jean Reno (rumored); Michelle Yeoh (in negotiations).
Who's Making It: Larry and Andy Wachowski (Directors, Screenwriters); Joel Silver (Producer).
Premise: Unknown.
Release Date: Early summer or Christmas 2002 (tentative).
Comments: The Matrix was right on the money; it delivered wonderful eye candy while never forgetting that there was a story being told. Sure, it may have had it's problems here and there but in the fading days of the '90s The Matrix gave its audience more value for their buck than most summer 'event' movies in recent memory. Heck, even Keanu looked cool (alright...in some parts....)
We're hoping the Wachowskis can keep up the momentum for the next film -- and bring back Trinity!
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
April 12, 1999... After twelve days in release, the Wachowski brothers' The Matrix film has pulled in $72.9 million and seems virtually assured to surpass the $100 million mark in domestic receipts -- which means it's time to start thinking about a sequel. With the film drawing excellent word-of-mouth and box office, Matrix producer Joel Silver had this to say to The Hollywood Reporter regarding any future plans the Wachowskis might have with a follow-up adventure: "The guys have said to me that the story does continue. They didn't really want to deal with it unless there was a reason to think about it. Well, I think they're going to think about it."
The Wachowskis are said to dislike public attention, preferring to work behind-the-scenes, so that may be a reason why we haven't heard much confirmation or denial of Matrix sequel ideas (it's been said the Wachowskis have two more stories set in the Matrix world). In various interviews given to her hometown Vancouver media just before the film was released, Matrix co-star Carrie-Anne Moss said she'd be up for going back into that universe.
Even though the film is an obvious success, it may be a little too early for any of the major players that would likely be involved in any subsequent sequels -- Keanu Reeves, the Wachowskis, or Warner Bros. -- to jump the gun and formally announce their intentions for a Matrix 2. We've heard that there may be future opportunities for new Matrix stories to be told in a comic book format, but we imagine the comics would be seperate from the storyline and characters from the film. In any case, we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open for any possible new developments, but for now we recommend that you continue to occasionally check in on the Official Matrix web site for any new information.
April 19, 1999... Today The Matrix became the first film in 1999 to make $100 million domestic at the box office. With the film still commanding a very healthy share of ticket receipts the swirling dervish of rumors surrounding the proposed sequel(s) to The Matrix has soared into overdrive. Let's look at some of the latest rumors and where CA stands on the legitmacy of them:
Last Friday we reported a scoop from a well-known source who told us the Wachowskis have been approached by Columbia Pictures to direct and possibly write their newly aquired Spider-Man feature. Although we are sworn to not divulge the person or the means of how they come to possess this knowledge we know the source of where it came from and feel the source's credibility gives the rumor an air of respectability. We also said we'd try to seek official confirmation or denial.
While our attempts to reach the Wachowskis agent met with little success (i.e. zip, zilch, zero, nada...), it seems the Cinescape Insider had the contact number for the brothers' Chicago-based agency and called them up about the Spider-Man rumor CA has posted earlier that day. The answer CI posted on its website was most intriguing: the Wachowskis agency said that the brothers would not do Spider-Man. We checked with our source on the matter and they pointed out something that we had also noticed in the Cinescape news report: the Wachowskis' agency did not confirm or deny the brothers had been approached to see if they were interested in developing Columbia's Spider-Man film...just that they would not be working on it. Our Hollywood source, well learned in the many intricacies of tinseltown double-speak, said it's one thing for a studio or producer to offer a project to someone, another thing to accept the job offer.
The long and short of it is we stand by our source on this one. On top of that there's already a precedence that may give our initial scoop an air of accuracry to it. Why's that? Well, in a April 5th New York Times article, Warner Bros. president of worldwide production Lorenzo di Bonaventura said the thought of handing the studio's ailing superhero franchises (Superman and Batman) has "crossed his mind." C'mon -- if you know anything about Hollywood mechanics you'll know people are "offered" projects all the time. Sitting down at lunch and talking about a film in a certain producer's development can be construed as a "offer" by some. While we may not the who, when and where about the alleged Columbia offer to the Wachowskis, we're not going to eliminate it as completely fiction either. In any case it's not relevant to this film's page. What is relevant is talk about the sequelThe Matrix.
That said, over on the Official Matrix web site webmaster Spencer Lamm is continuing to post new comic book stories all set in the Matrix universe. Harlan Ellison is putting the finishing touches on the longest short story he's written in the past three years, which will shortly go up on the site. The Wachowskis are also collaborating with Geof Darrow (Matrix conceptual artist) for a comic book story which will soon be online as well. But right now the thing Lamm is coordinating, and very excited about, is a 20-page, full color, 3-D computer rendered story created by Manex Visual Effects, one of Matrix's special effects companies. "They're using actual background models used in the film," said Spencer Lamm of the comic's backgrounds. As for the story's premise, remember that jaw-dropping image Morpheus showed to Neo of how humans are 'born' now? Get ready to see it up close and in your face in the comic story. "It's going to be the first story that shows in detail the real world outside the Matrix. What this is going to be about is a woman who has to go into the fetus fields to extract an infant for research. The fetus harvesters don't exactly want her there and make it anything but easy. Especially exciting, John Gaeta (Visual Effects supervisor at Manex) and company are using backgrounds and angles of the creatures not seen in the film. There are many new visuals to look forward to, maybe even a never before seen creature." Lamm's been working overtime on making sure all the comic book stories will get on the Official site, coordinating over a dozen artist and writers working on either solo or collaborative efforts. Right now he's unsure of what the long-term future is for the site, but for the short term he promises the site will be showing more of the Matrix's fantastic world in the original comic book stories.
And Lamm said the brothers do indeed have plans for more cinematic adventures in this realm. "The Matrix was always bigger than one film. That's where all the detail comes from, the time they put in setting up a workable, and vast, universe. Things like the mention [of the last human city] of Zion. They worked really hard at the details, so it's great people are responding." And last but not least, the big question: did Lamm know if the Wachowskis had been offered Spider-Man? As a matter of fact Lamm hasn't had much of an opportunity to catch up with the brothers these days, but he did share with us one personal observation: "They're being offered the moon." [Thanks to Spencer Lamm, webmaster/comic book editor extrodinaire, for letting us test drive one of the 80-foot fetus harvester vehicles used in the movie. It ****s on gas mileage, but boy, does it ever impress the chicks!]
July 15, 1999... Well, well, well. Here it is. This movie is officially a go along with its cousin, Matrix 3. So here's what we know:
Keanu Reeves will be back for both films and the reports are that he will be making more than $100 million off the deal, once you work in backend numbers. No word on other cast members as yet. No word on an official storyline as yet: the Brothers Wachowski have stated that from their original idea they could spawn a prequel and a sequel or two sequels or a pop-up book or pretty much whatever. The movies will be shot back-to-back in Fox Studios in Australia and also in the Sydney business district. The movies are expected to put about AUS$150 million into the economy there. Needless to say, it also known for a fact is that the Australians are so happy about this and all the other movie business they've been getting, they're downright euphoric. This film would probably end with a cliffhanger going straight into the third installment. But don't worry, no one will be waiting long because the third film would be released a few short months later.
[Originally appeared in 'news.com.au', Mr. Showbiz; Thanks to Bobby Seals, 'Gollywog,' 'Shrimpy', 'misterdo,' 'michelle,' John Wilkey, 'kroma,' 'Mr. XL,' 'Falcula,' 'Dr Kill,' 'Hy Pyke,' 'Porcelina,' 'avarice,' 'yellow,' and multiple anonymouses.]
SPOILERS
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And of course with great movie announcements come great plot rumors. Or something like that. "One of the supposed plot lines is that the world that Morpheus and Neo think is real, is also a constuction of the Matrix. Oh man!" Oh man indeed. [Thanks to Shrimpy.]
July 17, 1999... Oh, how we love rumors! Along with telling us that the lovely latex-clad Carrie-Anne Moss will be returning in Matrix 2, this scooper also mentioned one of the film's plot points: there's another human who can alter the reality of the Matrix (like Neo) but is an ally of the machines. Our scooper referred to these people who can change the Matrix's reality as "Manipulators". ['Mr. Chop' is a known associate of Agent Smith.]
END OF SPOILERS
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August 16, 1999... At this year's San Diego Conmic Convention, Matrix webmaster Spencer Lamm was on a panel discussing the show's Internet website and recent developments on the possible sequels.
"Larry and Andy are close, if not done, with a deal," said Lamm regarding the unofficial rumors that the Wachowski brothers are in talks with Warner Bros. to deliver not one but two Matrix sequels. Lamm also confirmed that the Wachowskis are going to write and direct the next two Matrix films back-to-back and said that the plan is to release the first film at the start of whatever summer it's ready for, with the third Matrix film released near the end of the same summer. As for an earlier report that originated from an Australian newspaper that the deals for Reeves and the Wachowskis returning for a Matrix 2 and 3 were a done deal, Lamm said that wasn't the case at all. "It's in broadstrokes but it's certainly not done as it was suggested," he said.
Lamm fielded questions from the audience, some of which tackled two Internet rumors about possible plot points for Matrix 2: that there will be a character with the same reality-shaping abilities Neo aquired at the conclusion of the first film, and that the characters in "the real world" discover it's just another layer of the Matrix-manufactured virtual reality. Lamm shook his head and said "I don't know what there is to the stories they're working on yet. There haven't been any plots given out, I know that. They haven't started writing the scripts for the next [Matrix films] until all the deal [for the sequels] are finalized so I doubt those rumors are true."
Asked about reports that one of the films would be a prequel to the first picture, Lamm replied "I know of no plans to do prequels at this stage." But he hinted that the Wachowskis had some interesting plans for the way they wanted to present the next two films. "Larry and Andy are really big on storytelling and want to play with the basic structure of story," Lamm said about how the brothers want to approach writing the next two films. "They want to completely have things happen unexpectedly. When you think of a movie you expect to see things happen at a certain time in the picture and they want to experiment with the concept of that." We're taking a stab in the dark here, but perhaps the Wachowskis are thinking about using the second Matrix film to create the first two acts of a movie, and perhaps end that film on a major cliffhanger. That way the third film, released in a couple of months, can serve as one big third act and slam-bang conclusion to the story. Now wouldn't that be cool to see: a film that's two full hours of action as our heroes try to defeat the bad guys who won at the end of the second film? Cross your fingers!
Lamm also said John Gaeta (of Manex FX, the firm that supplied parts of the first Matrix's VFX) and the Wachowskis have already had meetings about how to "take bullet time to the next level," as Lamm says. The 'bullet time' sequences from the first film, where the action was slowed down to such an extent you could see bullets traversing, were a big hit and it's interesting to let the mind imagine what Gaeta has in store for audiences next time.
Lamm also revealed that WB has approved his plans to expand the film's website. He's currently in the middle of hiring comic book writers and artists to create an 12 brand-new stories set in the Matrix world for reading on the film's website. There will also be a book released with the film's screenplay and the Steve Skroce storyboards, and another 144 page book will re-print all of the previous comic stories that appear on the website. As for the first Matrix, it'll be on DVD September 21st and feature an audio track from Carrie-Anne Moss and film's editor, the script, storyboards, pre-production art, making of film and the comics. [Thanks to Spencer Lamm for handing us a red pill.]
While we were walking around the floor of the SDCC we happened upon the Diamond Distributors booth. There they had a number of upcoming action figures on display from many toy companies, but the ones that stopped us dead in our tracks were the Matrix action figures. Y'know what Keanu, Laurence and Carrie-Anne look like in the poster, right? These are the spitting image of Neo, Trinity and the gang. They were amazing to behold!
We managed to corral Ron Hayes of WB Toys and ask him about these amazing figures. The sculpts were made in WB Toys' Cincinatti office and based on the level of detail and action captured in each figure, easily give Todd McFarlane's products a serious run for their money. They ship to speciality stores this coming October and could be on sale as early as early November. The initial wave of Matrix figures consists of Neo (in trenchcoat), Trinity, Morpheus, Cypher, Switch, and Agent Smith; and just as Keanu said in the film, they come with lots of guns. Switch, Cypher (complete with that huge plasma cannon!) and Agent Smith will be the rarest figures in a box, so expect demand to be high for these ones.
If the initial wave of Matrix figures prove to be a hit, WB Toys has plans for a second wave too. Included in that wave will be characters such as Tank, Mouse, Dozer, a Sentinel (cool!), the Fetus Harvesters, and a Neo figure in a pod chamber! These may be out by the spring, again, depending upon the success of the first wave. [Ron Hayes and his crew in Cincinnati kick a**.]
Finally, our own Sentinel managed to track down the booth where artist Geof Darrow was hiding out. Darrow came up with the conceptual images for The Matrix including the fetus pods, Harvesters, the design of Morpehus' ship and the Sentinels. We asked him if he's been approached to work on the new Matrix films. "That's the next thing I'm going to do," Darrow told us. "They made a deal with Warner to make 2 and 3 together, and they're going to film them back-to-back." Darrow also said he could be starting work on the project as soon as January next year, and said his involvement will most likely be strictly as conceptual designer and not storyboarding (although he did do two sequences from the first film: the Fetus Harvester and subway fight scenes.)
[We could tell you what occupation Geof Darrow is thinking about tackling next, but you'd have to show us your ID first.]
August 17, 1999... Interested in seeing a snapshot of the Matrix action figures soon to be on sale? Zip on over to http://www.zentertainment.com and click on their August 17th entry under 'Collectibles' and you'll see why you have to see 'em for yourself. [ZENtertainment knows the score.]
Yesterday's update spurred two scoops we'd like to share with you, just to get the rumor mill churning again - or maybe someone'll step forward to prove to us where this alleged "original trilogy treatment" came from (more than likely it was from some Matrix fan's imagination - and their website.)
"Don't know if you guys have heard about this yet, but there is 'an original Matrix treatment' circulating which contains the sketchy outlines of a trilogy. That's where the '2nd manipulator' rumor is coming from. But I don't know whether the Bros. will be sticking to their original plan for the trilogy, now that The Matrix has made tons of $, they should have a much bigger budget to play with for # 2.
"P.S.. I haven't heard anything about the 'real world isn't real' thing, at least not how your scooper said it. But there's a bit where T & M think they're out of the Matrix and they're really not. I guess that could be it." u[sbmitted by someone with the interesting pseudonym of 'Ripley's Meaner Sister'.]
When we sent a reply message to our next user the e-mail bounced, so we suspect it's bull**** from someone (the actor mentioned?) wanting to pump some attention their way. That said, here's what the 'scooper' sent to us:
"I'm working as a summer temp at New Line Cinema, whose parent company, Warner Bros., is producing The Matrix series. Yesterday, Dan Mallory, a young actor whom the Wachowskis considered for the role of Mouse in the original, came in for an 'interview' with one of the WB casting directors (I assume they're doing this at New Line because WB doesn't keep a Gotham office). I rode the elevator down to the lobby with Mallory following his conference, and he stated that while the script has not been written, the storyline has been tapped out, and he was in fact in discussions for a key role (as a villain). Since Mallory's in college (Duke), he may not be able to take a semester off for the Australia shoot." [Scoop submitted by someone who's name we're keeping off-the-record - oh, OK, they signed it 'Andy Sykes'.]
August 26, 1999... Various news services have picked up on the rumored story (first reported in Variety earlier this week) that Keanu Reeves is close to signing a deal that will earn him $30 M to star in both Matrix sequels. Reeves' deal is also alleged to include a profit sharing component which may mean he could earn up to $100 M if both movies are smash hits like the first Matrix film. Again, this is all hearsay and speculation...until Warner Bros. announces the deal is done.
October 2, 1999... IGN Movies broke a story yesterday that, if it turns out to be true, is a helluva score for them and will give those fans of The Matrix who can hardly wait to see the sequel something to daydream about in the meantime.
Yesterday IGN Movies reported the Wachowski brothers and Manex Entertainment (who created the first Matrix "bullet-time" effects) have discussed a car chase sequence in the second Matrix film that promises to re-juvinate this form of action scene. As the story goes, Neo is being chased by a group of Agents, racing down city streets to try and lose his pursuers...except the Agents are jumping into different drivers' bodies during the chase sequence! Sounds like it could be real fun, and if it's a bogus rumor maybe the brothers should think about doing it anyway.
But what leads us to think IGN Movies is on to something with their scoop is that we know for a fact Manex and the Wachowskis have had discussions about "raising the concept of bullet-time to the next level," as reported in our August 16th scoop from the San Diego Comic Convention. It sounds like someone involved with the sequel whispered some of the top secret plans to IGN Movies. Cool. [Originally reported on IGN Movies.]
November 8, 1999... Last Saturday the Wachowski brothers held an online question and answer session. All you needed was a DVD copy of The Matrix and a DVD drive and you could watch the movie real time with the brothers. Viewers asked them questions about what was happening in the movie, and the brothers would do their best to answer them.
Inevitably, the subject of the two Matrix sequels came up, and one of our readers was on hand to catch the Wachowskis responses.
"As you might know yesterday was the Matrix live Q&A chat event and synchronized DVD viewing with the Wachowski brothers (see http://www.warnervideo.com/matrixevents/).
"It was mildly entertaining but IMHO not too informative. They did mention a little bit about the sequels.
"Quotes from memory:
Q: Why did you not show Zion in the movie?
A: We are saving that for Matrix 2.
Q: What did the humans do to scorch the sky?
A: We will answer that later (I understood that to mean later in another movie, comic book, whatever. The topic was at least not mentioned in the chat again).
"At the end they also said 'See you again in 2002,' presumably the release of the next two movies. I think 2002 was the earliest to expect them anyways, it is just unfortunate that this means the will go head to head with Episode 2.
"They also mentioned a book about the whole thing to appear later this year. I suppose they meant 'The Matrix: The Shooting Script and Complete Storyboards' (ISBN 1557044058). Amazon.com lists it for release December 1st."
[Our friend Stan took a second look at the girl in the red dress again.]
February 18, 2000... Garth over at Dark Horizons just got a wild scoop in regards to what could possibly maybe be the storyline for the second film. Some tidbits are as follows. The character of Trinity could be "displaced in a temporal reality" (like college?) and Neo has to rescue her. The character of Trinity might or might not be...an agent! And as for Zion..."storyboards are circulating showing a chase around Zion's 'Core Conscience', which bares more than a passing similarity to Big Ben!" Wild. [Info taken from Dark Horizons; reported by Widgett.]
Now we had some information that might lend some weight to the DH: an anonymous scooper told us two days ago that the production for Matrix 2 and 3 will now take place in Pinewood Studios later this year. The reason the scooper gave is that the space is needed by Star Wars: Episode Two, forcing the Matrix sequels to re-locate. But is it really true? [Anonymous.]
April 5, 2000... Two weeks ago IGN Movies first reported about Jet Li being interested in possibly starring in the sequels to The Matrix. Now, today's Hollywood Reporter features a story saying that Li's interest in starring in the two forthcoming films has attracted the attention of the films' directors, Larry and Andy Wachowski. Reporter says the brothers are "keen on making a deal," and that sources said producer Joel Silver has given his "blessing" on the matching.
What's also of huge importance to Matrix fans is something the Reporter casually mentioned, that deals for both Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving have been closed. Previously we had heard Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne's deals were signed, sealed and delivered, and that Moss was still in negotiations, but never a mention that Weaving would be coming back since his character looked like a goner at the conclusion of the first Matrix. It doesn't look like that anymore. [Originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter.]
April 19, 2000... To no one's great surprise and everyone's great delight, Trinity is inked. That's right, Ms. Carrie-Anne Moss has signed a deal for this film and its follow-on. Variety reports this along with the fact that production will start next fall and the shooting for both sequels will last 250 days. An earlier report this month in The Hollywood Reporter mentioned Moss was indeed signed for the part, but it was mentioned indirectly. With Variety's latest story, we now have the official word from within WB's camp. [Originally appeared in Variety; reported by Widgett, who took the argyle pill.]
And we can tell you it's also a done deal for Agent Smith (played by actor Hugo Weaving) to appear in the second Matrix film as well as the third picture. Now, whether Weaving would be playing the same sentient computer program he did in the first Matrix, or a copy, or a new character, we can't say...
June 5, 2000... According to a news item carried by Reuters yesterday, Matrix producer Joel Silver said backstage at the MTV Movie Awards that the first of the forthcoming sequels will hit screens during the Christmas of 2002. That's six months later than what the original plan was one year ago. Has the production hit some sort of unexpected delays? [Originally reported by Reuters.]
June 14, 2000... Daily Radar has an interview with Keanu Reeves online now, and the one who is Neo reveals a tiny, tiny bit of confirmation about what we'll see in the sequels...
MINOR SPOILERS
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Daily Radar: You were in San Francisco recently, right?
Keanu Reeves: Yeah, filming.
DR: (playing dumb) Oh, the Matrix sequels?
KR: No, I'm working on a film called Sweet November with Charlize Theron.
DR: (somewhat clumsily, spitting it out) So-Daily-Radar-readers-really-want-to-know-five-questions-about-the-Matrix-is-that-impossible?
KR: (holding his breath) Okay, go ahead.
DR: You are so sweet. How far along are the sequels?
KR: They're working on 2 and 3, and... I have no idea. They don't tell me anything. (Lying!)
DR: Is Jet Li in the sequels?
KR: I think they're trying.
DR: Do you travel to Zion in the sequels?
KR: Yes.
DR: Right on. Do Neo and Trinity... still... you know.
KR: There is a love story.
DR: What is your favorite part about shooting the Matrix films?
KR: Um, favorite thing... Getting the chance to play the character Thomas Anderson. Neo. The cast. And the artists involved.
Finally, an acknowledgement: we'll see Zion!
[Scooped by 'FusionAddict'; originally appeared on Daily Radar.]
END OF MINOR SPOILERS
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June 15, 2000... IGN FilmForce broke the story this afternoon that "very reliable sources" have informed the website that martial arts action star Jet Li is apparently locked into a starring role for The Matrix 2 and The Matrix 3. No word was mentioned as to what role Li will be playing in the follow-ups. [Originally scooped by IGN FilmForce.]
June 17, 2000... We were contacted by the director of a short film called Computer Boy, a spoof of The Matrix that is now appearing on the Ifilm.com website. Running 50 minutes in length, Computer Boy was filmed in Sydney, Australia just like The Matrix was, and the short film's creators utilized many of the same locations the Wachowski brothers used for their own film!
"We filmed it at locations used in the real movie (and got in trouble for filming a car chase)," writes Computer Boy's director, Abe Forsythe. "The reason I'd made it was to get some attention down here in Australia and to hopefully give people a laugh. I also didn't want it to look like a cheap spoof made by a group of die-hard Matrix fans (which we are not), so we put a fair bit of effort into it to make it look schmick using a professional cast and crew. At the moment I'm trying to get it seen elsewhere (hence it playing on Ifilm) and just to make sure that people overseas know that it exists. Some of the humour is typically Australian but so far the reaction from people in the States has been positive."
We decided to check out the film ourselves and we liked it. The humor in Computer Boy is more along the vein of Airplane!, which worked especially well in the performance of Michael Falzon who played the part of Neo (played by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix). We especially liked the fighting programs Neo gets downloaded with when he joins up with Morpheus' crew, including such deadly expert abilities as "Wet Towel" and "Wedgie".
While the 50 minute length of the film makes it a heavy download, we enjoyed it for what it was. And until the Wachowskis have their next Matrix film ready for us, Computer Boy makes for a fun diversion. [Thanks Abe. We're looking forward to seeing the completed FX sequences next time!]
June 26, 2000... While still nothing is definite regarding Li's involvement, here's another martial arts guy who wants in. "coriaedu" was attending an X-chat with Ray Park, and when asked if he had had any luck getting any work with this project, he answered: "Nothing yet, but I'm working on it. I enjoyed the first Matrix and I thought *that's the movie I'd want to do*! I'm working on it." [Thanks to coriaedu for the word.]
July 20, 2000... Matrix sequel news out of Sydney's Morning Herald: a year after the announcement that the Wachowskis would be making the two sequels back-to-back but that active development has been delayed because the two scripts aren't yet complete.
"There's some preliminary planning going on," Andrew Mason, one of the producers of The Matrix, told the Morning Herald. "But without the scripts, no-one can really lock anything in. So everybody's lining up every option and holding their breath."
Remember those reports that the Matrix sequels might not be filming in Sydney after all, but they were never confirmed? Now we have proof that the option is at least being tossed around. Mason said that it's looking "pretty good" that the sequels will be filmed in Australia but that locations in Canada and Britain are being scouted, just in case studio space can't be booked. Mason told the paper that the earliest the films could now start filming would be around the middle of next year; there's simply too much pre-production time needed before they'd be ready to start shooting. [Scooped by Adam Butler; originally appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.]
August 10, 2000... We received a scoop today (unconfirmed, keep it in mind) that Laurence Fishburne has started renting a house in Auckland, New Zealand. The scooper says Fishburne plans to reside here during the breaks between shooting The Matrix sequels. [So says 'The Icon'.]
Ain't It Cool News reports today of a possible new character description for the Matrix sequels. According to "Moriarty", the information was gleaned by a scooper who read the casting sides which were supposedly sent to casting agencies. The new character, Niobe, is supposed to be cut from the same cloth as other tough-as-nails female sci-fi characters like Sarah Connor from Terminator 2 or Ripley from the Alien movies. For a full description of the as-yet unconfirmed Niobe, follow the link to AICN. [Originally appeared on Ain't It Cool News.]
August 11, 2000... Well, here we are a day later and IGN Movies has gotten us the good word. A "solid source" of theirs told them: Not only do we get the return of all the major players in the cast, but we will definitely see the aforementioned Niobe along with the character known only as "teenaged guy." Expect production to kick off in March of next year. But don't take our word for it, click over here and read the story for yourself. [Originally appeared in IGN Movies.]
August 17, 2000... More rumors continue to be heard about the Matrix sequels; now we've got another unconfirmed one to add to the recent list. Our latest scooper writes in to say he had the chance to speak to an employee of Manex, the special effects company that created the "bullet time" sequences for the film, and who are returning to create additional SFX for the sequels. "I was in San Francisco last weekend talking with a guy I know who used to work for ILM and now works for Manex," writes the scooper. "He is currently working on the effects on the Matrix II and III.
"Last week it was reported on AICN that Mannix was working on new techniques to make characters fly realisticly. He further corroborated this with saying 'Expect a big epic fight scene along the lines of Braveheart but with the characters flying like Supermen.'
"For what's worth it seemed like an interesting piece of news." [That's from 'Godchild'.]
This is the first report we've heard of a large battle sequence in the movie. We know for a fact from our sources that the visual effects envelope is being pushed by the brothers for the sequels, but really, nothing else describing possible fight sequences has been heard, until now that is. Something like this may be hard to prove right now, but we'll work at it.
August 19, 2000... A scooper named "Haven" told us to check out this month's Rolling Stone for some interesting and never-before-mentioned Matrix sequel information straight from an interview with Keanu Reeves -- and sure enough, there it is. The crew at Movie Headlines were the first to get the direct quotes from Stone online:
What he does know is that the Wachowskis want the character's fighting skills to progress, hence all the new training. "Before, we fought one at a time, and I know they want me to do five," he says. "Which is master. That's the real deal. If you can fight five people, that's Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee stuff. So you need a whole other technique for that. You need a whole other level of proficiency, to be able to film close to real time and to be consistent and to have power on blows and to sell the punches. I'm sure there's going to be more wire work, because the characters can fly." And he wants to learn to fight on three vertical levels: "Basically, our fights were really one level. Eye-to-eye fighting, or me going low to do a leg sweep, or me jumping in the air to kick you, that would be three levels. So I could fight low, fight middle, fight high. Then, with this one, I'll fight in the sky...." [Originally appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, Movie Headlines.net.]
August 25, 2000... Unconfirmed rumors (but then, they're the best kind) have French actor Jean Reno (Ronin) and another undisclosed French actress up for roles in the Matrix sequels. Apparently, one of the parts calls for a male somewhere in the 40 year old range. According to our scooper, someone has hinted at possibly reviving Jean Claude Van Damme's fading career. Also rumored to be in the mix is former British pop star Luke Goss who may be playing one of the agents. Goss' credits include the stage version of Grease, Plan 9 From Outer Space, and was one of the duel frontmen of the group Bros with his twin brother. Sure, they're all unconfirmed rumors, but other sources tell us the French characters and the new agent are indeed the real deal. [Thanks to 'C'; reported by Reg.]
September 7, 2000... Remember last month's scoop that originally appeared on AICN about the new character of "Niobe" slated to debut in Matrix 2? We all know now that the Wachowskis carefully selected the character names from the first Matrix so they could have hidden meanings (Morpheus being the god of sleep from Greek legends, Neo meaning "new" as well as a anagram of "one"). One of our readers put two and two together and researched what the name Niobe meant in literature...and their effort might have uncovered this new character's background. How much of the original Niobe might wind up in the sequel?
"I was brushing up on some Greek mythology when, lo and behold, the name 'Niobe' turned up. Here's a condensed version of her tale. Leto, mother of Artemis and Apollo, commands the women of Thebes to make sacrifices and honor her. This doesn't go over too well with Niobe, because she thinks she's better than than the goddess. She comes along, decked out in rich, fancy clothes and the like, and tells everyone she's better than Leto due to her lineage and 14 children. The townfolks forget Leto and sacrifice to Niobe. That makes for a ****ed off goddess. So she sends Apollo to kill Niobe's kids. Apollo wins, 14-0. Suddenly Niobe goes from something to nothing, and turns to stone, literally, from her grief. She stands high on a mountaintop, forever weeping as a statue of marble. Just thought that might help with how the character ends up. Maybe she upset the Matrix/Zion, and they end up killing her kids?" [Today's history lesson sent in by 'Max Fenig'.]
September 11, 2000... Better, stronger, faster? No it's not the Six Million Dollar Man but according to the Wachowski brothers the fight scenes in the next two Matrix films will be even more explosive and jaw-dropping than featured in the original. The Internet Movie Database reports that directors Andy and Larry Wachowski have summoned the stunt team to choreograph even more high calibre action. Apparently, fight co-ordinator Wu Ping is in the preliminary stages of creating the dynamic scenes and has already started auditioning potential fight doubles. British martial art stunt agent, Anthony Jones of Zeon Management says, "Wu Ping is looking for a really crack team of fighters. He's out to make the most compulsive fight scenes at the movies..."
The Wachowski brothers seem to be raising the stakes in their own franchise. For more fighting words from the Matrix series check out the IMDB. [Appeared at the IMDB; reported by Reg.]
September 20, 2000... For our L.A. readers out there, this weekend is your chance to catch two midnight screenings of the first Matrix film. For details, follow the white rabbit. [Scooped by human battery Jon Cline.]
September 24, 2000... The Internet Movie Database recently sat down with the world's richest homeless person and talked shop about the upcoming Matrix sequels. Here's a look at what Keanu had to say...
"Q: Are you looking forward to doing the two Matrix sequels.?
"REEVES: Yes, even though you wonder how you'll hold up because it's going to take about a year-and-a-half out of my life. But I loved doing The Matrix even though it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, and I'm looking forward to doing the sequels. We'll be shooting them back-to-back, and the way it's going to work, we'll be shooting one scene from one film, and then another scene from the other film. So it's going to require a lot of concentration.
"Q: Can you tell us anything about the plot of the sequels?
"REEVES: We'll be visiting the world of Zion and that's about all I can tell you..."
[Appeared at the IMDB; reported by Reg.]
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September 29, 2000... Ain't It Cool News managed to snag a first hand look at three new storyboards for the much anticipated Matrix 2 feature. An AICN insider recently tracked down the the cool artwork that gives us a look at what type of action we could expect to see in the upcoming sequel. The first board features what appears to be Neo surrounded by flames getting set to punch someone's lights out. The second reveals the gruesome result of a blow to the face which may represent the type of fight damage we may be in store for. Finally, AICN reports the last storyboard is of the mystical city of Zion which appears to be somewhat complex with what looks like a cool organic/mechanical type of structure. There also appears to be some sort of vehicle that resembles a helicopter which, if you remember, was used rather effectively in the original Matrix.
AICN was later contacted by Warner Bros. and asked to remove the storyboard images and did so. That also meant that CA had to remove our images of the 'boards as well. [Appeared at Ain't It Cool; reported by Reg.]
END OF SPOILERS
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September 30, 2000... Here's someone who had an observation regarding the images over at AICN. "The 'helicopter' in the storyboard picture on AICN looks more like the hovership to me. You can see the 'hover disks' on the side." So we figured, what the heck, let's pull that badboy out and look at it.
Now, we scoured the image for people to bring this sucker into scale, but perhaps this is, like another scooper pointed out, a hovercraft like in the first film--but since it just has that copter look about it--maybe it's for those hard-to-reach tunnels? [We idly speculate with the likes of Trav and Michael.]
What, you want more idle speculation? Well, okay. "This is just guesswork and speculation on my part, but I seem to recall a scoop from a while ago saying how there was a possible car chase scene in the movie where the agents jump from car to car chasing Neo... in that first storyboard with Neo surrounded by the fire about to hit someone there are two wrecked cars in the background. Maybe this scene takes place after/during the car chase." [Could be, John Capaul, could be.]
October 2, 2000... Thuran22 wants to give credit where credit is due. We don't blame him. "Those sketches look like they were done by Geof Darrow, a little fact not yet mentioned, thought I'd pass along my observations, based on the line quality and level of detail. I looked back at some of his old Rusty and Big Guy type stuff, and it's certainly his, or someone paid a fortune to imitate him, which is near impossible." No, we believe that is Mr. Darrow himself, returning to do artwork for this project, just as he threatened. No one does insanely detailed images like Mr. D. [Thuran22 gets our thanks.]
October 8, 2000... What's up regarding Li's involvement? Nothing solid yet, but Rich Brown sent in this bit from FHM magazine across the pond. In an interview with the mag, Li says, "I've just read the scripts for The Matrix 2 and 3. The brothers are very good friends of mine - but none of the actors are allowed to talk about it." So don't talk about it, Jet, just fax us the information. No words need be spoken. [Originally appeared in FHM; scooped by Rich Brown.]
October 17, 2000... According to Hollywood Reporter, Jada Pinkett Smith is currently in talks to hit both this film and the sequel as Niobi (notice the new, interesting spelling). Niobi is the love interest of the aforementioned Morpheus. [Originally appeared at Hollywood Reporter.]
October 25, 2000... Gossip has surfaced that Matt Goss, ex-member of the British pop group Bros. might be up for the part of an Agent in the second Matrix film. Matt also has a twin brother, Luke, who was also in Bros. Maybe the Wachowskis are playing up the twin angle for the Agents this time around? [Sent in by 'The Evil Twin'. Oooo, which one?]
October 31, 2000... When running down Jet Li's dance card, Variety mentioned that this project is "the most likely candidate" for what comes after Kiss of the Dragon. [Originally appeared in Variety.]
November 4, 2000... SciFi.com had a bit of a talk with Moss regarding the kick off of...um...kicking. Six months of training for everyone involved and then the sequels launch into production. And of course she was mum on all other details. [Originally appeared at SciFi.com.]
November 30, 2000... Okay, Jada's in. Yesterday on Oprah Winfrey's show, she apparently confirmed her participation in the sequels and said further that production kicks off in two months. Which is interesting since last we heard they had six months of training first. [Scooped by Tim and The Nemesis.]
December 5, 2000... From The Courier Mail in Brisbane, Australia, comes this tidbit: "Actor Laurence Fishburne is arriving in Los Angeles this week to begin a four month intense training regime in preparation for the Matrix sequels. He has also said that he will be devoting two years to the project." So are they training and shooting at the same time? [Originally appeared in The Courier Mail; scooped by Clint Fairbrother.]
December 8, 2000... C.H.U.D. broke a story yesterday about possible casting decisions the producers of the Matrix sequels are mulling over. Among the names dropped by the site were Aaliyah (Romeo Must Die), Harold Perrineau, Jr. (Oz) and Harry Lennix (Titus). C.H.U.D. mentions the actors as being under consideration and not officially confirmed for any parts -- yet. [Originally appeared on C.H.U.D.]
And we've got our own Matrix casting scoop to report today. It was during last weekend's marathon junkets for the upcoming Sandra Bullock movie Miss Congeniality that CA's own Suni Sidhu overheard one of Sandra's co-stars from that film mention his name and the words "Matrix sequels" in the same sentence. Suni explains:
"I was able to sit in on a roundtable interview with Benjamin Bratt, who can be seen opposite Sandra Bullock in this month's Miss Congeniality. Just as Bratt was itching to get away from the group of ruthless journalists, he was asked what his next project would be. Interestingly enough, Bratt insisted that he currently had no projects, but he has been talking to the Wachowski brothers a lot lately. When an apparently clueless person dared to ask why, he replied, 'Matrix 2, of course.' Bratt was nearly giddy as he said this, and seems to be trying to pull some strings to land a role in the film. He also says he has a decent martial arts background, with such talents being essential to the Matrix actors. Also, having Julia Roberts in his corner, and his recent association with Trinity's Carrie Ann Moss in Red Planet, it'll be interesting to see if the guy can pull it off." [Scooped by Suni Sidhu.]
December 9, 2000... If this next scooper is being truthful with us, we've just received our biggest scoop to date about what we're gonna see in The Matrix 2. Since there is no way to confirm the story points the scooper describes to us, we're issuing a possible medium SPOILER warning with this scoop. Again, however, you should treat this scoop as nothing more than fan fiction...although there's one thing contained in the scoop that seems to mesh with a fact we've heard about the storyline for Matrix 2. But is the rest of what they have to say truth or lies? Additional commentary from our side comes after the scoop:
"Howdy,
"I spoke to someone who read the script to Matrix 2, and they had a lot to say.
"Biggies:
"Agent Jones is the new agent.
"The cliffhanger:
"Trinity is kidnapped/taken hostage.
"Whammies:
"There is a 'chase scene' ten pages in. The reader didn't feel too strongly about it, but said it might come off much better on film.
"The coolest action scene is an aerial battle between Neo and the agents, flying through the city, pretty much trashing the place in AKIRA style pyrotechnics on a citywide scale.
"The main focus of Matrix 2 is to 'pull the wool from their eyes' as alluded at the end of the first film, and the thrust leading up to Matrix 3 is a war on two fronts against the machines.
"The heroes use the larger than life displays to convince the unawares in the Matrix that something is not right in the world.
"Lesse. What else was there. Oh yes. Zion is a city of lights under the water. A hovering/ship/submarine thing that moves around through the underground.
"There are several factions within Zion, and none of them seem to get along. This concerns 'the one' and how they'll go about freeing the enslaved humanity.
"Overall, the reader liked it, but wasn't a huge fan of the first film. He said he wanted more humor from the first, and this film was both darker and did a better job pulling him in. But all said and done, it was very similar to the first film, with less in the way of martial arts, and more in the style of Superman 2 superhero battles.
"Make of it what you will."
[Name withheld.]
Now, what we know for certain is that Hugo Weaving is definitely coming back in Matrix 2. What hasn't been confirmed is if he's playing Agent Smith again or if he's playing a new part in the sequel, whether it be another A.I. program or a human character. There was an Agent Jones in the first film; although he was never mentioned by name, this was the name of one of the other two A.I.s that worked with Agent Smith in The Matrix. The character was played by Robert Taylor, but so far there's been no mention if he's returning or not -- or if the scooper's source was telling the truth, whether the Wachowskis would re-cast the part. A third option is that it's simply a different Agent Jones than the one seen in the first film.
Now comes the hard part: to determine if this is an authentic preview of what to expect in Matrix 2 or it's not. We're going to go hunting and see if we can't find out, and we welcome any assistance you wish to provide us.
December 19, 2000... Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Michelle Yeoh is in negotiations to star in Matrix 2 and 3 reports Michael Fleming in his column today in Variety. Fleming also says Jet Li is now out of the running to star in the sequels; the Variety reporter's sources say Li's asking price of around $13 million to work in both films was above what the Matrix team had to offer, around $3 mil. As well, there would be no "backend" participation in the movies' grosses since previous deals with Keanu Reeves and the other Matrix stars cut into that possible revenue stream. Li would also have to give up any money derived from a Matrix video game in which his likeness would have been used.
With Yeoh now in the running to play the super-martial arts nemesis to Keanu Reeves' Neo (don't ask how we know that), it will be interesting to see if the up-and-coming actress lands the Matrix role -- and if it has any conflict in shooting schedules if she signs another deal to star in Indiana Jones 4. Yeoh's name was mentioned as a possible co-star in that stuck-in-development-hell project which might be slowly coming together sometime in the next year. If Yeoh's contract for the two Matrix sequels can be worked out, she'll be required to film for 11 months in 2001-02.
[Scoop first sent in by 'Boraxo Bilgewater'; originally appeared in Variety.]
December 21, 2000... A scooper that requested privacy slipped us the following email. If it's true, this is the first we've heard of it.
"Matial Art Choreographer and Action Director Yuen Woo-ping is having a hard time dealing with the 'suits' at Warner Brothers. Continually being hounded about costs (only double plus 10% more than he and his team recieved for the first film and this is for two features and a full years worth of work) and the need of a large staff (the Yuen stunt team), Yuen is considering leaving the project. This could have devestating results as both Mr. Fishburn and Mr. Reeves are both avoid fans and students of the renouned Hong Kong filmmaker.
"At this point in time, it remains to be seen if Woo-ping will continue to be involved in the Matrix sequels. Though he is currently training the cast (wire work effects should be completed by 12/22), there is still four months of rigorous martial arts training to finish up. As it is, Yuen Woo-ping is becoming very disenchanted with Hollywood."
[Name withheld.]
If indeed Woo-ping is disenfranhised with working on the Matrix sequels and left the production, it would be a serious blow felt both by the Wachowskis, the cast members and the sizable Matrix fanbase around the world. We've heard similar reports about in-fighting over budgetary issues with the sequels, brought on by unnamed studio executives, but we heard the same thing repeated time and time again by other filmmakers making different movies for different studios. Whenever large sums of cash are involved, of course people are going to be concerned about how much is being spent...and when you're footing the bill, you always want to save a buck.
Still, just this week Michael Fleming reported about Jet Li not being cast in the sequels because his asking price was too high. According to the Variety story, Li would also not get paid for participation with the future Matrix video games, which struck us as being somewhat unusual. Typically actors can make additional money by licencing their voices or appearance in games, on action figures or comic books. While there's not big bucks to be made there, it's still something extra for the actors to get. If Woo-ping is only getting paid 10% more for his work on Matrix 2 and 3, but the original film's actors, producers and directors are receiving sizable raises, he's got a right to be ****ed. We know Reeves is receiving a big back-end profit participation (as well as a raise upfront) that could see The Keanu make as much as $30 M if the movies are blockbusters...and who wants to guess they won't be? Not us.
Let's hope Woo-ping and the producers can iron out a deal. Matrix just wouldn't be the same without his stunt coordination, and he's simply the best there is in the biz.
December 31, 2000... "I just wanted to tell you that the IMDB credits Hugo Weaving as playing the part of Cypher in Matrix 2. Don't know if this is a mistake or a plot twist or what." We think it's a "what" since he's credited as being Agent Smith in Matrix 3 on that selfsame site. Remember that the IMDB gets its info for movies in the early stages of production from its readers, and that means it's not always 100% accurate. We're betting this is the explanation here. [Originally appeared on the IMDB; pointed out by Rukas.]
January 4, 2001... Residents of Oakland, it looks like you'll get to see some Matrix filming take place in your neck of the woods!
We were first tipped off on Tuesday by reader 'Tristan' about the possibility of the sequels shooting in the Bay Area. The San Francisco Gate reported on January 2nd that the production looks likely to film in Oakland, Alameda and other Bay Area locations. The Gate's anonymous source stated that a section of Interstate 880 may be closed for a high-speed chase sequence. Might this possibly be the chase sequence that was considered in the first film but later dismissed? [Thanks to 'Tristan', as well as TheMatrixOnline.com and IGN FilmForce; originally appeared in the San Francisco Gate.]
IGN FilmForce also landed a very cool exclusive (by way of Empire magazine): Stuart Wells (who played the father in Billy Elliot) has auditioned for a role in the Matrix sequels! Empire reports that Wells has completed one screentest and was returning for another go. [Originally appeared on IGN FilmForce and Empire magazine.]
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All other text and images copyright © 1995-2001 Corona Productions.
The Matrix 2
Genre: Science Fiction/Action/Sequel.
Studio: Warner Bros.
Production Company: Village Roadshow.
Project Phase: In Development.
Who's In It: Keanu Reeves (Neo); Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus); Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity); Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith?); Jada Pinkett Smith (Niobi); Jean Reno (rumored); Michelle Yeoh (in negotiations).
Who's Making It: Larry and Andy Wachowski (Directors, Screenwriters); Joel Silver (Producer).
Premise: Unknown.
Release Date: Early summer or Christmas 2002 (tentative).
Comments: The Matrix was right on the money; it delivered wonderful eye candy while never forgetting that there was a story being told. Sure, it may have had it's problems here and there but in the fading days of the '90s The Matrix gave its audience more value for their buck than most summer 'event' movies in recent memory. Heck, even Keanu looked cool (alright...in some parts....)
We're hoping the Wachowskis can keep up the momentum for the next film -- and bring back Trinity!
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
April 12, 1999... After twelve days in release, the Wachowski brothers' The Matrix film has pulled in $72.9 million and seems virtually assured to surpass the $100 million mark in domestic receipts -- which means it's time to start thinking about a sequel. With the film drawing excellent word-of-mouth and box office, Matrix producer Joel Silver had this to say to The Hollywood Reporter regarding any future plans the Wachowskis might have with a follow-up adventure: "The guys have said to me that the story does continue. They didn't really want to deal with it unless there was a reason to think about it. Well, I think they're going to think about it."
The Wachowskis are said to dislike public attention, preferring to work behind-the-scenes, so that may be a reason why we haven't heard much confirmation or denial of Matrix sequel ideas (it's been said the Wachowskis have two more stories set in the Matrix world). In various interviews given to her hometown Vancouver media just before the film was released, Matrix co-star Carrie-Anne Moss said she'd be up for going back into that universe.
Even though the film is an obvious success, it may be a little too early for any of the major players that would likely be involved in any subsequent sequels -- Keanu Reeves, the Wachowskis, or Warner Bros. -- to jump the gun and formally announce their intentions for a Matrix 2. We've heard that there may be future opportunities for new Matrix stories to be told in a comic book format, but we imagine the comics would be seperate from the storyline and characters from the film. In any case, we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open for any possible new developments, but for now we recommend that you continue to occasionally check in on the Official Matrix web site for any new information.
April 19, 1999... Today The Matrix became the first film in 1999 to make $100 million domestic at the box office. With the film still commanding a very healthy share of ticket receipts the swirling dervish of rumors surrounding the proposed sequel(s) to The Matrix has soared into overdrive. Let's look at some of the latest rumors and where CA stands on the legitmacy of them:
Last Friday we reported a scoop from a well-known source who told us the Wachowskis have been approached by Columbia Pictures to direct and possibly write their newly aquired Spider-Man feature. Although we are sworn to not divulge the person or the means of how they come to possess this knowledge we know the source of where it came from and feel the source's credibility gives the rumor an air of respectability. We also said we'd try to seek official confirmation or denial.
While our attempts to reach the Wachowskis agent met with little success (i.e. zip, zilch, zero, nada...), it seems the Cinescape Insider had the contact number for the brothers' Chicago-based agency and called them up about the Spider-Man rumor CA has posted earlier that day. The answer CI posted on its website was most intriguing: the Wachowskis agency said that the brothers would not do Spider-Man. We checked with our source on the matter and they pointed out something that we had also noticed in the Cinescape news report: the Wachowskis' agency did not confirm or deny the brothers had been approached to see if they were interested in developing Columbia's Spider-Man film...just that they would not be working on it. Our Hollywood source, well learned in the many intricacies of tinseltown double-speak, said it's one thing for a studio or producer to offer a project to someone, another thing to accept the job offer.
The long and short of it is we stand by our source on this one. On top of that there's already a precedence that may give our initial scoop an air of accuracry to it. Why's that? Well, in a April 5th New York Times article, Warner Bros. president of worldwide production Lorenzo di Bonaventura said the thought of handing the studio's ailing superhero franchises (Superman and Batman) has "crossed his mind." C'mon -- if you know anything about Hollywood mechanics you'll know people are "offered" projects all the time. Sitting down at lunch and talking about a film in a certain producer's development can be construed as a "offer" by some. While we may not the who, when and where about the alleged Columbia offer to the Wachowskis, we're not going to eliminate it as completely fiction either. In any case it's not relevant to this film's page. What is relevant is talk about the sequelThe Matrix.
That said, over on the Official Matrix web site webmaster Spencer Lamm is continuing to post new comic book stories all set in the Matrix universe. Harlan Ellison is putting the finishing touches on the longest short story he's written in the past three years, which will shortly go up on the site. The Wachowskis are also collaborating with Geof Darrow (Matrix conceptual artist) for a comic book story which will soon be online as well. But right now the thing Lamm is coordinating, and very excited about, is a 20-page, full color, 3-D computer rendered story created by Manex Visual Effects, one of Matrix's special effects companies. "They're using actual background models used in the film," said Spencer Lamm of the comic's backgrounds. As for the story's premise, remember that jaw-dropping image Morpheus showed to Neo of how humans are 'born' now? Get ready to see it up close and in your face in the comic story. "It's going to be the first story that shows in detail the real world outside the Matrix. What this is going to be about is a woman who has to go into the fetus fields to extract an infant for research. The fetus harvesters don't exactly want her there and make it anything but easy. Especially exciting, John Gaeta (Visual Effects supervisor at Manex) and company are using backgrounds and angles of the creatures not seen in the film. There are many new visuals to look forward to, maybe even a never before seen creature." Lamm's been working overtime on making sure all the comic book stories will get on the Official site, coordinating over a dozen artist and writers working on either solo or collaborative efforts. Right now he's unsure of what the long-term future is for the site, but for the short term he promises the site will be showing more of the Matrix's fantastic world in the original comic book stories.
And Lamm said the brothers do indeed have plans for more cinematic adventures in this realm. "The Matrix was always bigger than one film. That's where all the detail comes from, the time they put in setting up a workable, and vast, universe. Things like the mention [of the last human city] of Zion. They worked really hard at the details, so it's great people are responding." And last but not least, the big question: did Lamm know if the Wachowskis had been offered Spider-Man? As a matter of fact Lamm hasn't had much of an opportunity to catch up with the brothers these days, but he did share with us one personal observation: "They're being offered the moon." [Thanks to Spencer Lamm, webmaster/comic book editor extrodinaire, for letting us test drive one of the 80-foot fetus harvester vehicles used in the movie. It ****s on gas mileage, but boy, does it ever impress the chicks!]
July 15, 1999... Well, well, well. Here it is. This movie is officially a go along with its cousin, Matrix 3. So here's what we know:
Keanu Reeves will be back for both films and the reports are that he will be making more than $100 million off the deal, once you work in backend numbers. No word on other cast members as yet. No word on an official storyline as yet: the Brothers Wachowski have stated that from their original idea they could spawn a prequel and a sequel or two sequels or a pop-up book or pretty much whatever. The movies will be shot back-to-back in Fox Studios in Australia and also in the Sydney business district. The movies are expected to put about AUS$150 million into the economy there. Needless to say, it also known for a fact is that the Australians are so happy about this and all the other movie business they've been getting, they're downright euphoric. This film would probably end with a cliffhanger going straight into the third installment. But don't worry, no one will be waiting long because the third film would be released a few short months later.
[Originally appeared in 'news.com.au', Mr. Showbiz; Thanks to Bobby Seals, 'Gollywog,' 'Shrimpy', 'misterdo,' 'michelle,' John Wilkey, 'kroma,' 'Mr. XL,' 'Falcula,' 'Dr Kill,' 'Hy Pyke,' 'Porcelina,' 'avarice,' 'yellow,' and multiple anonymouses.]
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And of course with great movie announcements come great plot rumors. Or something like that. "One of the supposed plot lines is that the world that Morpheus and Neo think is real, is also a constuction of the Matrix. Oh man!" Oh man indeed. [Thanks to Shrimpy.]
July 17, 1999... Oh, how we love rumors! Along with telling us that the lovely latex-clad Carrie-Anne Moss will be returning in Matrix 2, this scooper also mentioned one of the film's plot points: there's another human who can alter the reality of the Matrix (like Neo) but is an ally of the machines. Our scooper referred to these people who can change the Matrix's reality as "Manipulators". ['Mr. Chop' is a known associate of Agent Smith.]
END OF SPOILERS
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August 16, 1999... At this year's San Diego Conmic Convention, Matrix webmaster Spencer Lamm was on a panel discussing the show's Internet website and recent developments on the possible sequels.
"Larry and Andy are close, if not done, with a deal," said Lamm regarding the unofficial rumors that the Wachowski brothers are in talks with Warner Bros. to deliver not one but two Matrix sequels. Lamm also confirmed that the Wachowskis are going to write and direct the next two Matrix films back-to-back and said that the plan is to release the first film at the start of whatever summer it's ready for, with the third Matrix film released near the end of the same summer. As for an earlier report that originated from an Australian newspaper that the deals for Reeves and the Wachowskis returning for a Matrix 2 and 3 were a done deal, Lamm said that wasn't the case at all. "It's in broadstrokes but it's certainly not done as it was suggested," he said.
Lamm fielded questions from the audience, some of which tackled two Internet rumors about possible plot points for Matrix 2: that there will be a character with the same reality-shaping abilities Neo aquired at the conclusion of the first film, and that the characters in "the real world" discover it's just another layer of the Matrix-manufactured virtual reality. Lamm shook his head and said "I don't know what there is to the stories they're working on yet. There haven't been any plots given out, I know that. They haven't started writing the scripts for the next [Matrix films] until all the deal [for the sequels] are finalized so I doubt those rumors are true."
Asked about reports that one of the films would be a prequel to the first picture, Lamm replied "I know of no plans to do prequels at this stage." But he hinted that the Wachowskis had some interesting plans for the way they wanted to present the next two films. "Larry and Andy are really big on storytelling and want to play with the basic structure of story," Lamm said about how the brothers want to approach writing the next two films. "They want to completely have things happen unexpectedly. When you think of a movie you expect to see things happen at a certain time in the picture and they want to experiment with the concept of that." We're taking a stab in the dark here, but perhaps the Wachowskis are thinking about using the second Matrix film to create the first two acts of a movie, and perhaps end that film on a major cliffhanger. That way the third film, released in a couple of months, can serve as one big third act and slam-bang conclusion to the story. Now wouldn't that be cool to see: a film that's two full hours of action as our heroes try to defeat the bad guys who won at the end of the second film? Cross your fingers!
Lamm also said John Gaeta (of Manex FX, the firm that supplied parts of the first Matrix's VFX) and the Wachowskis have already had meetings about how to "take bullet time to the next level," as Lamm says. The 'bullet time' sequences from the first film, where the action was slowed down to such an extent you could see bullets traversing, were a big hit and it's interesting to let the mind imagine what Gaeta has in store for audiences next time.
Lamm also revealed that WB has approved his plans to expand the film's website. He's currently in the middle of hiring comic book writers and artists to create an 12 brand-new stories set in the Matrix world for reading on the film's website. There will also be a book released with the film's screenplay and the Steve Skroce storyboards, and another 144 page book will re-print all of the previous comic stories that appear on the website. As for the first Matrix, it'll be on DVD September 21st and feature an audio track from Carrie-Anne Moss and film's editor, the script, storyboards, pre-production art, making of film and the comics. [Thanks to Spencer Lamm for handing us a red pill.]
While we were walking around the floor of the SDCC we happened upon the Diamond Distributors booth. There they had a number of upcoming action figures on display from many toy companies, but the ones that stopped us dead in our tracks were the Matrix action figures. Y'know what Keanu, Laurence and Carrie-Anne look like in the poster, right? These are the spitting image of Neo, Trinity and the gang. They were amazing to behold!
We managed to corral Ron Hayes of WB Toys and ask him about these amazing figures. The sculpts were made in WB Toys' Cincinatti office and based on the level of detail and action captured in each figure, easily give Todd McFarlane's products a serious run for their money. They ship to speciality stores this coming October and could be on sale as early as early November. The initial wave of Matrix figures consists of Neo (in trenchcoat), Trinity, Morpheus, Cypher, Switch, and Agent Smith; and just as Keanu said in the film, they come with lots of guns. Switch, Cypher (complete with that huge plasma cannon!) and Agent Smith will be the rarest figures in a box, so expect demand to be high for these ones.
If the initial wave of Matrix figures prove to be a hit, WB Toys has plans for a second wave too. Included in that wave will be characters such as Tank, Mouse, Dozer, a Sentinel (cool!), the Fetus Harvesters, and a Neo figure in a pod chamber! These may be out by the spring, again, depending upon the success of the first wave. [Ron Hayes and his crew in Cincinnati kick a**.]
Finally, our own Sentinel managed to track down the booth where artist Geof Darrow was hiding out. Darrow came up with the conceptual images for The Matrix including the fetus pods, Harvesters, the design of Morpehus' ship and the Sentinels. We asked him if he's been approached to work on the new Matrix films. "That's the next thing I'm going to do," Darrow told us. "They made a deal with Warner to make 2 and 3 together, and they're going to film them back-to-back." Darrow also said he could be starting work on the project as soon as January next year, and said his involvement will most likely be strictly as conceptual designer and not storyboarding (although he did do two sequences from the first film: the Fetus Harvester and subway fight scenes.)
[We could tell you what occupation Geof Darrow is thinking about tackling next, but you'd have to show us your ID first.]
August 17, 1999... Interested in seeing a snapshot of the Matrix action figures soon to be on sale? Zip on over to http://www.zentertainment.com and click on their August 17th entry under 'Collectibles' and you'll see why you have to see 'em for yourself. [ZENtertainment knows the score.]
Yesterday's update spurred two scoops we'd like to share with you, just to get the rumor mill churning again - or maybe someone'll step forward to prove to us where this alleged "original trilogy treatment" came from (more than likely it was from some Matrix fan's imagination - and their website.)
"Don't know if you guys have heard about this yet, but there is 'an original Matrix treatment' circulating which contains the sketchy outlines of a trilogy. That's where the '2nd manipulator' rumor is coming from. But I don't know whether the Bros. will be sticking to their original plan for the trilogy, now that The Matrix has made tons of $, they should have a much bigger budget to play with for # 2.
"P.S.. I haven't heard anything about the 'real world isn't real' thing, at least not how your scooper said it. But there's a bit where T & M think they're out of the Matrix and they're really not. I guess that could be it." u[sbmitted by someone with the interesting pseudonym of 'Ripley's Meaner Sister'.]
When we sent a reply message to our next user the e-mail bounced, so we suspect it's bull**** from someone (the actor mentioned?) wanting to pump some attention their way. That said, here's what the 'scooper' sent to us:
"I'm working as a summer temp at New Line Cinema, whose parent company, Warner Bros., is producing The Matrix series. Yesterday, Dan Mallory, a young actor whom the Wachowskis considered for the role of Mouse in the original, came in for an 'interview' with one of the WB casting directors (I assume they're doing this at New Line because WB doesn't keep a Gotham office). I rode the elevator down to the lobby with Mallory following his conference, and he stated that while the script has not been written, the storyline has been tapped out, and he was in fact in discussions for a key role (as a villain). Since Mallory's in college (Duke), he may not be able to take a semester off for the Australia shoot." [Scoop submitted by someone who's name we're keeping off-the-record - oh, OK, they signed it 'Andy Sykes'.]
August 26, 1999... Various news services have picked up on the rumored story (first reported in Variety earlier this week) that Keanu Reeves is close to signing a deal that will earn him $30 M to star in both Matrix sequels. Reeves' deal is also alleged to include a profit sharing component which may mean he could earn up to $100 M if both movies are smash hits like the first Matrix film. Again, this is all hearsay and speculation...until Warner Bros. announces the deal is done.
October 2, 1999... IGN Movies broke a story yesterday that, if it turns out to be true, is a helluva score for them and will give those fans of The Matrix who can hardly wait to see the sequel something to daydream about in the meantime.
Yesterday IGN Movies reported the Wachowski brothers and Manex Entertainment (who created the first Matrix "bullet-time" effects) have discussed a car chase sequence in the second Matrix film that promises to re-juvinate this form of action scene. As the story goes, Neo is being chased by a group of Agents, racing down city streets to try and lose his pursuers...except the Agents are jumping into different drivers' bodies during the chase sequence! Sounds like it could be real fun, and if it's a bogus rumor maybe the brothers should think about doing it anyway.
But what leads us to think IGN Movies is on to something with their scoop is that we know for a fact Manex and the Wachowskis have had discussions about "raising the concept of bullet-time to the next level," as reported in our August 16th scoop from the San Diego Comic Convention. It sounds like someone involved with the sequel whispered some of the top secret plans to IGN Movies. Cool. [Originally reported on IGN Movies.]
November 8, 1999... Last Saturday the Wachowski brothers held an online question and answer session. All you needed was a DVD copy of The Matrix and a DVD drive and you could watch the movie real time with the brothers. Viewers asked them questions about what was happening in the movie, and the brothers would do their best to answer them.
Inevitably, the subject of the two Matrix sequels came up, and one of our readers was on hand to catch the Wachowskis responses.
"As you might know yesterday was the Matrix live Q&A chat event and synchronized DVD viewing with the Wachowski brothers (see http://www.warnervideo.com/matrixevents/).
"It was mildly entertaining but IMHO not too informative. They did mention a little bit about the sequels.
"Quotes from memory:
Q: Why did you not show Zion in the movie?
A: We are saving that for Matrix 2.
Q: What did the humans do to scorch the sky?
A: We will answer that later (I understood that to mean later in another movie, comic book, whatever. The topic was at least not mentioned in the chat again).
"At the end they also said 'See you again in 2002,' presumably the release of the next two movies. I think 2002 was the earliest to expect them anyways, it is just unfortunate that this means the will go head to head with Episode 2.
"They also mentioned a book about the whole thing to appear later this year. I suppose they meant 'The Matrix: The Shooting Script and Complete Storyboards' (ISBN 1557044058). Amazon.com lists it for release December 1st."
[Our friend Stan took a second look at the girl in the red dress again.]
February 18, 2000... Garth over at Dark Horizons just got a wild scoop in regards to what could possibly maybe be the storyline for the second film. Some tidbits are as follows. The character of Trinity could be "displaced in a temporal reality" (like college?) and Neo has to rescue her. The character of Trinity might or might not be...an agent! And as for Zion..."storyboards are circulating showing a chase around Zion's 'Core Conscience', which bares more than a passing similarity to Big Ben!" Wild. [Info taken from Dark Horizons; reported by Widgett.]
Now we had some information that might lend some weight to the DH: an anonymous scooper told us two days ago that the production for Matrix 2 and 3 will now take place in Pinewood Studios later this year. The reason the scooper gave is that the space is needed by Star Wars: Episode Two, forcing the Matrix sequels to re-locate. But is it really true? [Anonymous.]
April 5, 2000... Two weeks ago IGN Movies first reported about Jet Li being interested in possibly starring in the sequels to The Matrix. Now, today's Hollywood Reporter features a story saying that Li's interest in starring in the two forthcoming films has attracted the attention of the films' directors, Larry and Andy Wachowski. Reporter says the brothers are "keen on making a deal," and that sources said producer Joel Silver has given his "blessing" on the matching.
What's also of huge importance to Matrix fans is something the Reporter casually mentioned, that deals for both Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving have been closed. Previously we had heard Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne's deals were signed, sealed and delivered, and that Moss was still in negotiations, but never a mention that Weaving would be coming back since his character looked like a goner at the conclusion of the first Matrix. It doesn't look like that anymore. [Originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter.]
April 19, 2000... To no one's great surprise and everyone's great delight, Trinity is inked. That's right, Ms. Carrie-Anne Moss has signed a deal for this film and its follow-on. Variety reports this along with the fact that production will start next fall and the shooting for both sequels will last 250 days. An earlier report this month in The Hollywood Reporter mentioned Moss was indeed signed for the part, but it was mentioned indirectly. With Variety's latest story, we now have the official word from within WB's camp. [Originally appeared in Variety; reported by Widgett, who took the argyle pill.]
And we can tell you it's also a done deal for Agent Smith (played by actor Hugo Weaving) to appear in the second Matrix film as well as the third picture. Now, whether Weaving would be playing the same sentient computer program he did in the first Matrix, or a copy, or a new character, we can't say...
June 5, 2000... According to a news item carried by Reuters yesterday, Matrix producer Joel Silver said backstage at the MTV Movie Awards that the first of the forthcoming sequels will hit screens during the Christmas of 2002. That's six months later than what the original plan was one year ago. Has the production hit some sort of unexpected delays? [Originally reported by Reuters.]
June 14, 2000... Daily Radar has an interview with Keanu Reeves online now, and the one who is Neo reveals a tiny, tiny bit of confirmation about what we'll see in the sequels...
MINOR SPOILERS
**********************************************************
Daily Radar: You were in San Francisco recently, right?
Keanu Reeves: Yeah, filming.
DR: (playing dumb) Oh, the Matrix sequels?
KR: No, I'm working on a film called Sweet November with Charlize Theron.
DR: (somewhat clumsily, spitting it out) So-Daily-Radar-readers-really-want-to-know-five-questions-about-the-Matrix-is-that-impossible?
KR: (holding his breath) Okay, go ahead.
DR: You are so sweet. How far along are the sequels?
KR: They're working on 2 and 3, and... I have no idea. They don't tell me anything. (Lying!)
DR: Is Jet Li in the sequels?
KR: I think they're trying.
DR: Do you travel to Zion in the sequels?
KR: Yes.
DR: Right on. Do Neo and Trinity... still... you know.
KR: There is a love story.
DR: What is your favorite part about shooting the Matrix films?
KR: Um, favorite thing... Getting the chance to play the character Thomas Anderson. Neo. The cast. And the artists involved.
Finally, an acknowledgement: we'll see Zion!
[Scooped by 'FusionAddict'; originally appeared on Daily Radar.]
END OF MINOR SPOILERS
**********************************************************
June 15, 2000... IGN FilmForce broke the story this afternoon that "very reliable sources" have informed the website that martial arts action star Jet Li is apparently locked into a starring role for The Matrix 2 and The Matrix 3. No word was mentioned as to what role Li will be playing in the follow-ups. [Originally scooped by IGN FilmForce.]
June 17, 2000... We were contacted by the director of a short film called Computer Boy, a spoof of The Matrix that is now appearing on the Ifilm.com website. Running 50 minutes in length, Computer Boy was filmed in Sydney, Australia just like The Matrix was, and the short film's creators utilized many of the same locations the Wachowski brothers used for their own film!
"We filmed it at locations used in the real movie (and got in trouble for filming a car chase)," writes Computer Boy's director, Abe Forsythe. "The reason I'd made it was to get some attention down here in Australia and to hopefully give people a laugh. I also didn't want it to look like a cheap spoof made by a group of die-hard Matrix fans (which we are not), so we put a fair bit of effort into it to make it look schmick using a professional cast and crew. At the moment I'm trying to get it seen elsewhere (hence it playing on Ifilm) and just to make sure that people overseas know that it exists. Some of the humour is typically Australian but so far the reaction from people in the States has been positive."
We decided to check out the film ourselves and we liked it. The humor in Computer Boy is more along the vein of Airplane!, which worked especially well in the performance of Michael Falzon who played the part of Neo (played by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix). We especially liked the fighting programs Neo gets downloaded with when he joins up with Morpheus' crew, including such deadly expert abilities as "Wet Towel" and "Wedgie".
While the 50 minute length of the film makes it a heavy download, we enjoyed it for what it was. And until the Wachowskis have their next Matrix film ready for us, Computer Boy makes for a fun diversion. [Thanks Abe. We're looking forward to seeing the completed FX sequences next time!]
June 26, 2000... While still nothing is definite regarding Li's involvement, here's another martial arts guy who wants in. "coriaedu" was attending an X-chat with Ray Park, and when asked if he had had any luck getting any work with this project, he answered: "Nothing yet, but I'm working on it. I enjoyed the first Matrix and I thought *that's the movie I'd want to do*! I'm working on it." [Thanks to coriaedu for the word.]
July 20, 2000... Matrix sequel news out of Sydney's Morning Herald: a year after the announcement that the Wachowskis would be making the two sequels back-to-back but that active development has been delayed because the two scripts aren't yet complete.
"There's some preliminary planning going on," Andrew Mason, one of the producers of The Matrix, told the Morning Herald. "But without the scripts, no-one can really lock anything in. So everybody's lining up every option and holding their breath."
Remember those reports that the Matrix sequels might not be filming in Sydney after all, but they were never confirmed? Now we have proof that the option is at least being tossed around. Mason said that it's looking "pretty good" that the sequels will be filmed in Australia but that locations in Canada and Britain are being scouted, just in case studio space can't be booked. Mason told the paper that the earliest the films could now start filming would be around the middle of next year; there's simply too much pre-production time needed before they'd be ready to start shooting. [Scooped by Adam Butler; originally appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.]
August 10, 2000... We received a scoop today (unconfirmed, keep it in mind) that Laurence Fishburne has started renting a house in Auckland, New Zealand. The scooper says Fishburne plans to reside here during the breaks between shooting The Matrix sequels. [So says 'The Icon'.]
Ain't It Cool News reports today of a possible new character description for the Matrix sequels. According to "Moriarty", the information was gleaned by a scooper who read the casting sides which were supposedly sent to casting agencies. The new character, Niobe, is supposed to be cut from the same cloth as other tough-as-nails female sci-fi characters like Sarah Connor from Terminator 2 or Ripley from the Alien movies. For a full description of the as-yet unconfirmed Niobe, follow the link to AICN. [Originally appeared on Ain't It Cool News.]
August 11, 2000... Well, here we are a day later and IGN Movies has gotten us the good word. A "solid source" of theirs told them: Not only do we get the return of all the major players in the cast, but we will definitely see the aforementioned Niobe along with the character known only as "teenaged guy." Expect production to kick off in March of next year. But don't take our word for it, click over here and read the story for yourself. [Originally appeared in IGN Movies.]
August 17, 2000... More rumors continue to be heard about the Matrix sequels; now we've got another unconfirmed one to add to the recent list. Our latest scooper writes in to say he had the chance to speak to an employee of Manex, the special effects company that created the "bullet time" sequences for the film, and who are returning to create additional SFX for the sequels. "I was in San Francisco last weekend talking with a guy I know who used to work for ILM and now works for Manex," writes the scooper. "He is currently working on the effects on the Matrix II and III.
"Last week it was reported on AICN that Mannix was working on new techniques to make characters fly realisticly. He further corroborated this with saying 'Expect a big epic fight scene along the lines of Braveheart but with the characters flying like Supermen.'
"For what's worth it seemed like an interesting piece of news." [That's from 'Godchild'.]
This is the first report we've heard of a large battle sequence in the movie. We know for a fact from our sources that the visual effects envelope is being pushed by the brothers for the sequels, but really, nothing else describing possible fight sequences has been heard, until now that is. Something like this may be hard to prove right now, but we'll work at it.
August 19, 2000... A scooper named "Haven" told us to check out this month's Rolling Stone for some interesting and never-before-mentioned Matrix sequel information straight from an interview with Keanu Reeves -- and sure enough, there it is. The crew at Movie Headlines were the first to get the direct quotes from Stone online:
What he does know is that the Wachowskis want the character's fighting skills to progress, hence all the new training. "Before, we fought one at a time, and I know they want me to do five," he says. "Which is master. That's the real deal. If you can fight five people, that's Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee stuff. So you need a whole other technique for that. You need a whole other level of proficiency, to be able to film close to real time and to be consistent and to have power on blows and to sell the punches. I'm sure there's going to be more wire work, because the characters can fly." And he wants to learn to fight on three vertical levels: "Basically, our fights were really one level. Eye-to-eye fighting, or me going low to do a leg sweep, or me jumping in the air to kick you, that would be three levels. So I could fight low, fight middle, fight high. Then, with this one, I'll fight in the sky...." [Originally appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, Movie Headlines.net.]
August 25, 2000... Unconfirmed rumors (but then, they're the best kind) have French actor Jean Reno (Ronin) and another undisclosed French actress up for roles in the Matrix sequels. Apparently, one of the parts calls for a male somewhere in the 40 year old range. According to our scooper, someone has hinted at possibly reviving Jean Claude Van Damme's fading career. Also rumored to be in the mix is former British pop star Luke Goss who may be playing one of the agents. Goss' credits include the stage version of Grease, Plan 9 From Outer Space, and was one of the duel frontmen of the group Bros with his twin brother. Sure, they're all unconfirmed rumors, but other sources tell us the French characters and the new agent are indeed the real deal. [Thanks to 'C'; reported by Reg.]
September 7, 2000... Remember last month's scoop that originally appeared on AICN about the new character of "Niobe" slated to debut in Matrix 2? We all know now that the Wachowskis carefully selected the character names from the first Matrix so they could have hidden meanings (Morpheus being the god of sleep from Greek legends, Neo meaning "new" as well as a anagram of "one"). One of our readers put two and two together and researched what the name Niobe meant in literature...and their effort might have uncovered this new character's background. How much of the original Niobe might wind up in the sequel?
"I was brushing up on some Greek mythology when, lo and behold, the name 'Niobe' turned up. Here's a condensed version of her tale. Leto, mother of Artemis and Apollo, commands the women of Thebes to make sacrifices and honor her. This doesn't go over too well with Niobe, because she thinks she's better than than the goddess. She comes along, decked out in rich, fancy clothes and the like, and tells everyone she's better than Leto due to her lineage and 14 children. The townfolks forget Leto and sacrifice to Niobe. That makes for a ****ed off goddess. So she sends Apollo to kill Niobe's kids. Apollo wins, 14-0. Suddenly Niobe goes from something to nothing, and turns to stone, literally, from her grief. She stands high on a mountaintop, forever weeping as a statue of marble. Just thought that might help with how the character ends up. Maybe she upset the Matrix/Zion, and they end up killing her kids?" [Today's history lesson sent in by 'Max Fenig'.]
September 11, 2000... Better, stronger, faster? No it's not the Six Million Dollar Man but according to the Wachowski brothers the fight scenes in the next two Matrix films will be even more explosive and jaw-dropping than featured in the original. The Internet Movie Database reports that directors Andy and Larry Wachowski have summoned the stunt team to choreograph even more high calibre action. Apparently, fight co-ordinator Wu Ping is in the preliminary stages of creating the dynamic scenes and has already started auditioning potential fight doubles. British martial art stunt agent, Anthony Jones of Zeon Management says, "Wu Ping is looking for a really crack team of fighters. He's out to make the most compulsive fight scenes at the movies..."
The Wachowski brothers seem to be raising the stakes in their own franchise. For more fighting words from the Matrix series check out the IMDB. [Appeared at the IMDB; reported by Reg.]
September 20, 2000... For our L.A. readers out there, this weekend is your chance to catch two midnight screenings of the first Matrix film. For details, follow the white rabbit. [Scooped by human battery Jon Cline.]
September 24, 2000... The Internet Movie Database recently sat down with the world's richest homeless person and talked shop about the upcoming Matrix sequels. Here's a look at what Keanu had to say...
"Q: Are you looking forward to doing the two Matrix sequels.?
"REEVES: Yes, even though you wonder how you'll hold up because it's going to take about a year-and-a-half out of my life. But I loved doing The Matrix even though it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, and I'm looking forward to doing the sequels. We'll be shooting them back-to-back, and the way it's going to work, we'll be shooting one scene from one film, and then another scene from the other film. So it's going to require a lot of concentration.
"Q: Can you tell us anything about the plot of the sequels?
"REEVES: We'll be visiting the world of Zion and that's about all I can tell you..."
[Appeared at the IMDB; reported by Reg.]
SPOILERS
************************************************************
September 29, 2000... Ain't It Cool News managed to snag a first hand look at three new storyboards for the much anticipated Matrix 2 feature. An AICN insider recently tracked down the the cool artwork that gives us a look at what type of action we could expect to see in the upcoming sequel. The first board features what appears to be Neo surrounded by flames getting set to punch someone's lights out. The second reveals the gruesome result of a blow to the face which may represent the type of fight damage we may be in store for. Finally, AICN reports the last storyboard is of the mystical city of Zion which appears to be somewhat complex with what looks like a cool organic/mechanical type of structure. There also appears to be some sort of vehicle that resembles a helicopter which, if you remember, was used rather effectively in the original Matrix.
AICN was later contacted by Warner Bros. and asked to remove the storyboard images and did so. That also meant that CA had to remove our images of the 'boards as well. [Appeared at Ain't It Cool; reported by Reg.]
END OF SPOILERS
*********************************************************
September 30, 2000... Here's someone who had an observation regarding the images over at AICN. "The 'helicopter' in the storyboard picture on AICN looks more like the hovership to me. You can see the 'hover disks' on the side." So we figured, what the heck, let's pull that badboy out and look at it.
Now, we scoured the image for people to bring this sucker into scale, but perhaps this is, like another scooper pointed out, a hovercraft like in the first film--but since it just has that copter look about it--maybe it's for those hard-to-reach tunnels? [We idly speculate with the likes of Trav and Michael.]
What, you want more idle speculation? Well, okay. "This is just guesswork and speculation on my part, but I seem to recall a scoop from a while ago saying how there was a possible car chase scene in the movie where the agents jump from car to car chasing Neo... in that first storyboard with Neo surrounded by the fire about to hit someone there are two wrecked cars in the background. Maybe this scene takes place after/during the car chase." [Could be, John Capaul, could be.]
October 2, 2000... Thuran22 wants to give credit where credit is due. We don't blame him. "Those sketches look like they were done by Geof Darrow, a little fact not yet mentioned, thought I'd pass along my observations, based on the line quality and level of detail. I looked back at some of his old Rusty and Big Guy type stuff, and it's certainly his, or someone paid a fortune to imitate him, which is near impossible." No, we believe that is Mr. Darrow himself, returning to do artwork for this project, just as he threatened. No one does insanely detailed images like Mr. D. [Thuran22 gets our thanks.]
October 8, 2000... What's up regarding Li's involvement? Nothing solid yet, but Rich Brown sent in this bit from FHM magazine across the pond. In an interview with the mag, Li says, "I've just read the scripts for The Matrix 2 and 3. The brothers are very good friends of mine - but none of the actors are allowed to talk about it." So don't talk about it, Jet, just fax us the information. No words need be spoken. [Originally appeared in FHM; scooped by Rich Brown.]
October 17, 2000... According to Hollywood Reporter, Jada Pinkett Smith is currently in talks to hit both this film and the sequel as Niobi (notice the new, interesting spelling). Niobi is the love interest of the aforementioned Morpheus. [Originally appeared at Hollywood Reporter.]
October 25, 2000... Gossip has surfaced that Matt Goss, ex-member of the British pop group Bros. might be up for the part of an Agent in the second Matrix film. Matt also has a twin brother, Luke, who was also in Bros. Maybe the Wachowskis are playing up the twin angle for the Agents this time around? [Sent in by 'The Evil Twin'. Oooo, which one?]
October 31, 2000... When running down Jet Li's dance card, Variety mentioned that this project is "the most likely candidate" for what comes after Kiss of the Dragon. [Originally appeared in Variety.]
November 4, 2000... SciFi.com had a bit of a talk with Moss regarding the kick off of...um...kicking. Six months of training for everyone involved and then the sequels launch into production. And of course she was mum on all other details. [Originally appeared at SciFi.com.]
November 30, 2000... Okay, Jada's in. Yesterday on Oprah Winfrey's show, she apparently confirmed her participation in the sequels and said further that production kicks off in two months. Which is interesting since last we heard they had six months of training first. [Scooped by Tim and The Nemesis.]
December 5, 2000... From The Courier Mail in Brisbane, Australia, comes this tidbit: "Actor Laurence Fishburne is arriving in Los Angeles this week to begin a four month intense training regime in preparation for the Matrix sequels. He has also said that he will be devoting two years to the project." So are they training and shooting at the same time? [Originally appeared in The Courier Mail; scooped by Clint Fairbrother.]
December 8, 2000... C.H.U.D. broke a story yesterday about possible casting decisions the producers of the Matrix sequels are mulling over. Among the names dropped by the site were Aaliyah (Romeo Must Die), Harold Perrineau, Jr. (Oz) and Harry Lennix (Titus). C.H.U.D. mentions the actors as being under consideration and not officially confirmed for any parts -- yet. [Originally appeared on C.H.U.D.]
And we've got our own Matrix casting scoop to report today. It was during last weekend's marathon junkets for the upcoming Sandra Bullock movie Miss Congeniality that CA's own Suni Sidhu overheard one of Sandra's co-stars from that film mention his name and the words "Matrix sequels" in the same sentence. Suni explains:
"I was able to sit in on a roundtable interview with Benjamin Bratt, who can be seen opposite Sandra Bullock in this month's Miss Congeniality. Just as Bratt was itching to get away from the group of ruthless journalists, he was asked what his next project would be. Interestingly enough, Bratt insisted that he currently had no projects, but he has been talking to the Wachowski brothers a lot lately. When an apparently clueless person dared to ask why, he replied, 'Matrix 2, of course.' Bratt was nearly giddy as he said this, and seems to be trying to pull some strings to land a role in the film. He also says he has a decent martial arts background, with such talents being essential to the Matrix actors. Also, having Julia Roberts in his corner, and his recent association with Trinity's Carrie Ann Moss in Red Planet, it'll be interesting to see if the guy can pull it off." [Scooped by Suni Sidhu.]
December 9, 2000... If this next scooper is being truthful with us, we've just received our biggest scoop to date about what we're gonna see in The Matrix 2. Since there is no way to confirm the story points the scooper describes to us, we're issuing a possible medium SPOILER warning with this scoop. Again, however, you should treat this scoop as nothing more than fan fiction...although there's one thing contained in the scoop that seems to mesh with a fact we've heard about the storyline for Matrix 2. But is the rest of what they have to say truth or lies? Additional commentary from our side comes after the scoop:
"Howdy,
"I spoke to someone who read the script to Matrix 2, and they had a lot to say.
"Biggies:
"Agent Jones is the new agent.
"The cliffhanger:
"Trinity is kidnapped/taken hostage.
"Whammies:
"There is a 'chase scene' ten pages in. The reader didn't feel too strongly about it, but said it might come off much better on film.
"The coolest action scene is an aerial battle between Neo and the agents, flying through the city, pretty much trashing the place in AKIRA style pyrotechnics on a citywide scale.
"The main focus of Matrix 2 is to 'pull the wool from their eyes' as alluded at the end of the first film, and the thrust leading up to Matrix 3 is a war on two fronts against the machines.
"The heroes use the larger than life displays to convince the unawares in the Matrix that something is not right in the world.
"Lesse. What else was there. Oh yes. Zion is a city of lights under the water. A hovering/ship/submarine thing that moves around through the underground.
"There are several factions within Zion, and none of them seem to get along. This concerns 'the one' and how they'll go about freeing the enslaved humanity.
"Overall, the reader liked it, but wasn't a huge fan of the first film. He said he wanted more humor from the first, and this film was both darker and did a better job pulling him in. But all said and done, it was very similar to the first film, with less in the way of martial arts, and more in the style of Superman 2 superhero battles.
"Make of it what you will."
[Name withheld.]
Now, what we know for certain is that Hugo Weaving is definitely coming back in Matrix 2. What hasn't been confirmed is if he's playing Agent Smith again or if he's playing a new part in the sequel, whether it be another A.I. program or a human character. There was an Agent Jones in the first film; although he was never mentioned by name, this was the name of one of the other two A.I.s that worked with Agent Smith in The Matrix. The character was played by Robert Taylor, but so far there's been no mention if he's returning or not -- or if the scooper's source was telling the truth, whether the Wachowskis would re-cast the part. A third option is that it's simply a different Agent Jones than the one seen in the first film.
Now comes the hard part: to determine if this is an authentic preview of what to expect in Matrix 2 or it's not. We're going to go hunting and see if we can't find out, and we welcome any assistance you wish to provide us.
December 19, 2000... Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Michelle Yeoh is in negotiations to star in Matrix 2 and 3 reports Michael Fleming in his column today in Variety. Fleming also says Jet Li is now out of the running to star in the sequels; the Variety reporter's sources say Li's asking price of around $13 million to work in both films was above what the Matrix team had to offer, around $3 mil. As well, there would be no "backend" participation in the movies' grosses since previous deals with Keanu Reeves and the other Matrix stars cut into that possible revenue stream. Li would also have to give up any money derived from a Matrix video game in which his likeness would have been used.
With Yeoh now in the running to play the super-martial arts nemesis to Keanu Reeves' Neo (don't ask how we know that), it will be interesting to see if the up-and-coming actress lands the Matrix role -- and if it has any conflict in shooting schedules if she signs another deal to star in Indiana Jones 4. Yeoh's name was mentioned as a possible co-star in that stuck-in-development-hell project which might be slowly coming together sometime in the next year. If Yeoh's contract for the two Matrix sequels can be worked out, she'll be required to film for 11 months in 2001-02.
[Scoop first sent in by 'Boraxo Bilgewater'; originally appeared in Variety.]
December 21, 2000... A scooper that requested privacy slipped us the following email. If it's true, this is the first we've heard of it.
"Matial Art Choreographer and Action Director Yuen Woo-ping is having a hard time dealing with the 'suits' at Warner Brothers. Continually being hounded about costs (only double plus 10% more than he and his team recieved for the first film and this is for two features and a full years worth of work) and the need of a large staff (the Yuen stunt team), Yuen is considering leaving the project. This could have devestating results as both Mr. Fishburn and Mr. Reeves are both avoid fans and students of the renouned Hong Kong filmmaker.
"At this point in time, it remains to be seen if Woo-ping will continue to be involved in the Matrix sequels. Though he is currently training the cast (wire work effects should be completed by 12/22), there is still four months of rigorous martial arts training to finish up. As it is, Yuen Woo-ping is becoming very disenchanted with Hollywood."
[Name withheld.]
If indeed Woo-ping is disenfranhised with working on the Matrix sequels and left the production, it would be a serious blow felt both by the Wachowskis, the cast members and the sizable Matrix fanbase around the world. We've heard similar reports about in-fighting over budgetary issues with the sequels, brought on by unnamed studio executives, but we heard the same thing repeated time and time again by other filmmakers making different movies for different studios. Whenever large sums of cash are involved, of course people are going to be concerned about how much is being spent...and when you're footing the bill, you always want to save a buck.
Still, just this week Michael Fleming reported about Jet Li not being cast in the sequels because his asking price was too high. According to the Variety story, Li would also not get paid for participation with the future Matrix video games, which struck us as being somewhat unusual. Typically actors can make additional money by licencing their voices or appearance in games, on action figures or comic books. While there's not big bucks to be made there, it's still something extra for the actors to get. If Woo-ping is only getting paid 10% more for his work on Matrix 2 and 3, but the original film's actors, producers and directors are receiving sizable raises, he's got a right to be ****ed. We know Reeves is receiving a big back-end profit participation (as well as a raise upfront) that could see The Keanu make as much as $30 M if the movies are blockbusters...and who wants to guess they won't be? Not us.
Let's hope Woo-ping and the producers can iron out a deal. Matrix just wouldn't be the same without his stunt coordination, and he's simply the best there is in the biz.
December 31, 2000... "I just wanted to tell you that the IMDB credits Hugo Weaving as playing the part of Cypher in Matrix 2. Don't know if this is a mistake or a plot twist or what." We think it's a "what" since he's credited as being Agent Smith in Matrix 3 on that selfsame site. Remember that the IMDB gets its info for movies in the early stages of production from its readers, and that means it's not always 100% accurate. We're betting this is the explanation here. [Originally appeared on the IMDB; pointed out by Rukas.]
January 4, 2001... Residents of Oakland, it looks like you'll get to see some Matrix filming take place in your neck of the woods!
We were first tipped off on Tuesday by reader 'Tristan' about the possibility of the sequels shooting in the Bay Area. The San Francisco Gate reported on January 2nd that the production looks likely to film in Oakland, Alameda and other Bay Area locations. The Gate's anonymous source stated that a section of Interstate 880 may be closed for a high-speed chase sequence. Might this possibly be the chase sequence that was considered in the first film but later dismissed? [Thanks to 'Tristan', as well as TheMatrixOnline.com and IGN FilmForce; originally appeared in the San Francisco Gate.]
IGN FilmForce also landed a very cool exclusive (by way of Empire magazine): Stuart Wells (who played the father in Billy Elliot) has auditioned for a role in the Matrix sequels! Empire reports that Wells has completed one screentest and was returning for another go. [Originally appeared on IGN FilmForce and Empire magazine.]
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