‘The Matrix’ turns 25: Will Smith was going to be Neo, the code they’re using is a recipe and more curiosities

“The Matrix,” the sci-fi movie that revolutionized cinema in 1999, turns 25 in 2024.

Directed by the Wachowski brothers, this film plunged us into a world where reality is not what it seems, starting one of the most successful franchises of the seventh art. On the occasion of its anniversary, we’re sharing with you some curious facts you might not have known about the film.

Curiosity about ‘The Matrix’, a sci-fi film turning 25 years old

The original concept of The Matrix was born as a comic book, but the Wachowski sisters turned it into a movie script.

Keanu Reeves was cast as New, but was not the first choice for casting. Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage were some of the actors who were considered for the said character, but for different reasons they turned it down.

Because the martial arts training was so intense, Keanu Reeves ended up with a herniated disc, so he had to wear a neck brace during rehearsals and remove it every time they had to record.

Just as “The Simpsons” has done on many occasions, some of the futuristic ideas put forward in the film, such as virtual reality, are already a fact today.

The white rabbit that Neo has to follow in the movie refers to the book “Alice in Wonderland”, which symbolizes acting without question, taking you on unexpected adventures.

The ‘Matrix’ code was designed by Simon Whiteley, who used his wife’s Japanese recipe book, so it contains the instructions for preparing said Japanese dish mixed with strange characters to make it appealing to the eye.

According to information from the portal “New Zealand Herald”, most of the outdoor scenes were recorded in Sydney, Australia, where actor Laurence Fishburne complained that he felt a “racial atmosphere” very similar to the 1950s.

The ‘Matrix’ special effects made history

Considering the budget given to the big movies of the 90s, “The Matrix” had to operate on a low budget for its time, which forced creativity in the action scenes.

In terms of special effects, one of the most memorable sequences is the fight between Neo and 100 clones of Agent Smith, which took 27 days of production. It should be noted that the “Matrix” sequels included almost 2,500 special effects, while the first film had only 400.

The famous ‘bullet time’ sequence was used for the first time in cinema in this film, which allows action scenes to be shot in 360 degrees and played back in slow motion.

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