This topic is realtive Matrix 2 & 3 making.Please look out "(*** Spoilers ***)"in the title. And all of news items are here.

"John Williams sets a pretty high standard and I knew that I’d be judged against that, so it was very difficult. "

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HOLLYWOOD (Zap2it.com) - Both of The Matrix sequels have wrapped the Oakland, Calif. leg of their estimated 250-day production, reports Northern California Movies, a website that tracks filming in that area. The big news is that the title of the third installment has now been revealed: The Matrix Revolutions.

The second one was recently dubbed The Matrix Reloaded and is expected to end with a cliffhanger that will be resolved in The Matrix Revolutions.

Both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions are shooting simultaneously. Keanu Reeves and the rest of the cast and crew will now move on to Australia to complete filming..

The Matrix Reloaded is scheduled to open in theaters on Christmas day, 2002. The Matrix Revolutions will follow sometime in the summer of 2003.

The simultaneous shooting, holiday/summer release dates and cliffhanger recall the way the Back to the Future sequels were handled nearly 12 years ago.

Stranded on The Matrix 2's Northern California set, Carrie-Anne Moss was sorely in need of pore treatment. Fortunately for the actress, the film's wardrobe girl invited skin care guru Vera Kantor of Beverly Hills' Verabella Skin Therapy Salon to come to Moss's aid. The resourceful Kantor converted a wardrobe fitting room into an oasis of calm and gave Moss her signature $ 150 caviar facial.

'Anonymous' also sent in this picture. This is what they had to say: The pictures not that great. In fact, it sucks. Not worth a feature. There were cops everywhere so there was no way I could get a picture of the cave set. The picture I sent was of a few extras standing around.

We think the picture looks just fine.
(Thanks to 'Anonymous')

The same 'Anonymous' that gave you that sweet set report tells us the following:

The Wakowski brothers were very focused individuals. They know exactly what they want in every single shot. When Lawrence did the "ZION! Hear me"speech Andy would go up after each take (about 15) and fine tune his performance. They are men of vision. I wish more movies were made with that kind of conceptual genius. You can see the appreciation they have for storyline in BOUND.

One thing I found really cool was standing next Gaeta the bullet time creator.

(Thanks again to 'Anonymous')

'Anonymous' was able to check out the 'Matrix' set, and was kind enough to send in the following: The Zion set I saw was incredible. It was an old hanger on the outside and an underground cave near the Earth's core on the inside. The set design had incredible detail.

-----Spoliers-----

The only thing remotely as impressive as the set were us extras. On the best of days there were as many as 1000 of us. We were decked out in thin revealing clothes and stips of battered leather. I'm not sure how it will look on film but there was some delicious amounts of T&A curving sheer clothe on set. There were several scenes that we were apart of:

Seeing the set for Zion was incredible, but even on set amoung the extras we could only speculate about the total plot. From what I've seen and heard, I can say I don't think that "the Holodeck theory"of false reality within false reality is true.. but what do I know, I'm just a dirt-bag extra.

'Anonymous' was also kind enough to send in a picture, which we will add tomorrow.
(Thanks to 'Anonymous' for a kick- ass report)

Joel Silver, the producer responsible for the Matrix sequels, yesterday promised that he wouldn't be softening the films' violent content to please Warner Bros. Speaking at yesterday's Swordfish press conference in London, Silver explained that 'there's greater freedom in an R-rated picture for doing the kind of movies we like to do.'

'These pictures are not for children,' Silver went on to say. 'The Matrix sequels are both R-rated and that's just the way that worked out...I'm proud that we do not make these pictures for children. These films are R-rated for a reason.'

R-rated movies (which mean anyone under 17 in America has to be accompanied by a a parent or guardian) usually get that rating because of swearing, violence, nudity or drug abuse. They aren't popular with the studios because of the effect such a rating has on the box office potential. Movies regularly gross 12-15% less when R-rated.

UK film fans will probably find that the Matrix sequels, as with the original film, will be rated 15 in this country.

ALL FOR 'NOTHING':Preview performances of Bill Irwin's one-man realization of Samuel Beckett's "Texts for Nothing"last week drew Tom Waits and Keanu Reeves on separate nights to the Geary Theater, where the show opens tonight.

Reeves called the box office at the last minute for a single ticket and was every inch the down-to-earth, no-Hollywood-bullfunkie star after the show, graciously signing autographs and posing for snapshots for a few lucky audience members.

So is Keanu heading into a Beckett phase? I can hear it now: "I can't go on.

I must go on. Wh-o-o-o-ah."

By Patrick Sauriol

The Posey Tube tunnel that connects Alameda to Oakland will be closed later this evening until noon on Saturday. Reason? The crew for The Matrix Reloaded plan to shoot scenes inside the connector.

Starting at 9 P.M. this evening, the Tube will be off-limits to San Francisco traffic. The neighboring Webster Tube, which connects Oakland to Alameda, will remain open. Free shuttle buses are being made available for motorists inconvenienced by the filming.

But what's being shot inside the tunnel? Our sources say it's part of the chase sequence between Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and agents, a portion of the mega-sized car chase to be seen in The Matrix Reloaded.

The "Matrix"team will pack up in the next few weeks, which means no more Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne sightings at local hot spots. But the lives of extras have not been nearly as glamorous. They were paid more to drive their cars on the faux freeway constructed for the movie in Alameda. When the extras were ordered to return to their "mark,"they had to drive backward at 40 mph, a task they described as "a little scary."A loop was belatedly built to accommodate them. The extras also said it was distracting to motor along while all manner of crashes were enacted by stunt drivers on the other side of the freeway. Some extras took to wearing sunglasses. Must have been hard to tell them from the movie stars.

IGN FilmForce has obtained new information regarding a specific location that's currently being scouted for The Matrix Reloaded.

The film's production company, Eon Enterprises, is in search of a French Chateaux to serve as a location in the film. Their current first choice is the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, but they're still shopping around a bit.

Here are some characteristics the production team requires of the location: The house must be very large and impressive with old-world craftsmanship; the manor must sit isolated on a mountaintop or hill; vegetation and trees should not shroud the house. The ideal house would be a French Chateaux on the edge of a mountain, overlooking a valley, without any trees blocking the view.

The filming will involve a visual effects unit filming the exterior front, rear, and side facades of the house.

Here's a glimpse at the production's first choice, the Biltmore Estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina...

I've been to Biltmore myself and I can vouch for its impressive visuals. The house is massive and completely stunning, inside and out.

The 250-room manor took six years for George Vanderbilt to build (1889-1895). Its 390-foot facade has more than 11 million bricks. The house has a massive stone spiral staircase that rises four floors, with 102 steps. Through its center hangs an iron chandelier suspended from a single point, containing 72 electric light bulbs. It's enough to send the likes of Bob Vila and Martha Stewart into convulsions.

If Eon finalizes on Biltmore, they'll add The Matrix Reloaded to the long list of films have been shot at at the estate. The mansion has appeared in films like 1956's The Swan with Grace Kelly, and Alec Guiness, and more recently; Being There, The Last of the Mohicans, My Fellow Americans, and Patch Adams. The manor even served as Mason Verger's home in Hannibal.

Hannibal schmannibal...the one film I remember most that was shot at Biltmore is 1980's The Private Eyes, starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway. This was one of those "Summer Movies"they played every year when I was a kid. I can't count the number of times my parents carted my friends and I off to the theater for a couple hours of cheap babysitting. That's great cinema right there folks!

Aaliyah was interviewed mostly about her new role as Akasha (the mother of all vampires) in 'Queen of the Damned.' She did have a few things to say about appearing in the 'Matrix' sequels:

It (playing Akasha) also was a physically demanding role, which the longtime dancer and swimmer can parlay soon when she returns to Australia to film the two simultaneously shot sequels to The Matrix. "Lips are sealed,"she says about the films' details, though she confesses she'll play a character named Zee.

She's game for more action, which is good because she's required to do her own stunts. "I love that because I want to do it all."

No word yet on whether she'll appear on her movies' soundtracks.

Third Eye Blind bass player Arion Salazar will apparently have a bit part in the Matrix sequel during its current shoot in Oakland

The first of two upcoming Matrix sequels ? slated for a Christmas 2002 release ? has been given an official name: The Matrix: Reloaded. Both pics are being shot simultaneously, which makes sense considering executive producer Joel Silver describes them as "essentially one movie shown in two halves." Certainly, Silver ? whose credits include four Lethal Weapon films, two Die Hards and two Predators ? knows his way around a sequel. But the two-time Razzie award winner insists that the second and third Matrix chapters won't be your standard issue follow-ups.

"[Writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski] wrote The Matrix as a long story,"explains Silver, whose latest project, the John Travolta crime thriller Swordfish, opens June 8. "They wanted to tell a superhero story, so they created this world where one could be a superhero and it would be believable, because you're in your head and you have the power to free your mind... The sequels are the story that they wanted to tell."

In fact, so impressed was Silver with the Wachowski's vision for the trilogy, that it may mean moviegoers will never see a Lethal Weapon 5. "I've really come to the conclusion that unless you can continue the story ? not just make a sequel for the sake of making a sequel ? I'm not into it,"he confesses, adding that "I really felt The Matrix was something very, very special."? Angel Cohn

There's Hollywood, Bollywood and, now, it turns out, Alywood, the hip celebrity hangout formerly known as Alameda.

Yes, movie fans, that was Laurence Fishburne you saw mingling with the gym rats at Bladium, the island's giant sports and fitness club.

He's in town filming the Matrix 2, the latest addition to Keanu Reeves' inspiring cinematic oeuvre, and yet another in a long string of big-money films to be shot in this once unassuming city.

"True Crimes,""The Rainmaker,""What Dreams May Come"-- star-sightings are pretty ho-hum now that Alameda has been transformed into a sprawling movie- set-by-the-bay.

"We're getting a little jaded,"says Ed Levine, a facilities manager with the city.

It's a perfect fit, really. The abandoned barracks, the looming freeway overpasses. Introducing Alameda, the ideal backdrop for a series of explosions hung loosely on a threadbare plot.

Unless, of course, you want to make a comedy called "Flubber,"in which case Alameda will suit you, too.

But back to Fishburne. He dropped by Bladium recently, along with a small flock of movie stuntmen, to pump some iron.

Reeves wasn't around, which isn't surprising. He's a naturally rugged star who performs most of his own stunts, relying on stand-ins only for scenes that require acting.

The second installment of the Matrix film series will be called The Matrix Reloaded and will hit theaters in 2002, EW.com reported. Writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski began principal photography March 26 in Oakland, Calif., with much of the original cast intact, including Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving, the site reported. The cast will add Jada Pinkett Smith and singer Aaliyah, both of whom have reportedly signed on for the as yet untitled third Matrix film as well, EW reported.

EW.com has exclusive word on ''The Matrix'' 2. Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss will get ''Reloaded'' for the sci-fi followup by William Keck

LOCKED AND 'RELOADED' Moss rejoins the sci-fi world of ''The Matrix'' in the second and third sequels

It's about to go out to the world, gang, but we'll tell you the news now: the official title for the second Matrix movie is...The Matrix Reloaded. No, the Wachowskis aren't explaining the significance of the word "reloaded"in the second film's title, leaving us to begin the speculation. And you know we will.

And it's also been officially confirmed Hugo Weaving will reprise his role as Agent Smith in the film. We've known for months Weaving would be back -- but would be return as the seemingly-destroyed sentient computer program or someone/thing else? Now we know for sure.

And here's the latest word from Joel Silver about the film: "We know we set the bar very high for this sequel. Driven by Larry and Andy Wachowski's singular vision and combined with the brilliant creativity of our cast and crew, we're going to deliver all the cutting-edge action, explosive story and mind-blowing special effects that the fans and the franchise deserve."

Production Begins on "The Matrix Reloaded,"Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss, for Warner Bros. Pictures in Association With Village Roadshow Pictures

OAKLAND, Calif. (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE) - Producer Joel Silver and directors Larry and Andy Wachowski have launched principal photography on "The Matrix Reloaded,"the highly anticipated sequel to their genre-bending, groundbreaking, Academy Award-winning blockbuster "The Matrix,"for Warner Bros. Pictures in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment. The announcement was made today by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, president of Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving will reprise their roles from "The Matrix,"the acclaimed action thriller that won four Academy Awards, accumulated the biggest box office in Warner Bros. Pictures' history -- more than $450 million worldwide -- and became the fastest-selling DVD on record at the time of its release.

"`The Matrix' is an astonishingly innovative and influential film,"di Bonaventura said. "We're thrilled that production is underway on the next installment, anchored by our stellar cast from the original film. Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers took the action thriller genre to a new level, and I'm as excited as every other fan to see where they take us with `The Matrix Reloaded.'"

"We know we set the bar very high for this sequel,"Silver asserted. "Driven by Larry and Andy Wachowski's singular vision and combined with the brilliant creativity of our cast and crew, we're going to deliver all the cutting-edge action, explosive story and mind-blowing special effects that the fans and the franchise deserve."

After completing preliminary photography in Oakland in June, the production will take a hiatus until September and then relocate to Sydney, Australia, where filming will be based at the Fox Studios.

"The Matrix Reloaded"will be distributed worldwide in 2002 by Warner Bros. Pictures and, in select territories, by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Contact: Warner Bros. Bronwyn Preston, 510/749-5010 Marilyn Nelson, 818/954-6228

Hey folks, Harry here... Ol Tracy Mack sent in this shot of Jada Pinkett's stunt double leaving a trailer for filming on MATRIX 2 or 3.... So let's see.... this means we need some shots of Morpheus and Neo and we'll have a good set in the making given the past scoops... But the scariest thing about this scoop is Jada... Her acting in BAMBOOZLED was amongst some of the worst work I've seen in quite some time... of course that character suddenly went on a turn and emotional journey that seemed about as realistic as the Scorpion King at the end of MUMMY RETURNS... Let's hope the Wachowski's use the same magic on her that they used on Keanu.... BTW, watching BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE at the Drafthouse this weekend was so incredibly sweet! I miss this Keanu!

Fight sequence, Neo vs unknown, although from profile with glasses could be early versino of the Silvermen (viries)or just a agent. Possible part of car sequence, that everybody been seeing pictures from

Steve Skroce and Geof Darrow, comics artists returning to work on The Matrix sequels, both told The Continuum that they expect the next two movies to easily outdo the first.

"I've seen some footage and it's fantastic,"said Skroce, who is again doing storyboards. "The little they've shot so far, over the last month or so, is so sweet.

"I would be very surprised if any of the Matrix fans aren't satisfied with the new ones."

"It's an incredibly coherent piece of work,"said Darrow, who is again doing design work. "It's going to be an amazing story. I'm pretty lucky to be working on it, this goofy comic book guy from Iowa."

Both Skroce and Darrow - who can't reveal details about the films -- are still working on them for directors Andy and Larry Wachowski.

"They said it would be 5-6 months, and I'm going on eight,"Skroce said. "When I get done in June, it will be more like 12-13 months.

"They don't want anything to be hacked out. It's gotta be right before it's done quickly."

Skroce said he's been working closely with the Wachowski brothers.

"I'll keep doing sketches until the shot is exactly the way they want,"he said. "The movie really does come out of their brains. I'm the translator; that's how I would describe it. We go through an immense amount of detail doing the boards correctly."

'The Matrix' producer Joel Silver believes the fight sequences in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' will be surpassed in the forthcoming 'Matrix' sequences. "The 'Matrix' sequel is so beyond anything you could ever imagine, it is really staggering what we are going to do on that movie,"the big-shot action producer states. "People are not going to believe it, but that's what we have to do because a lot has happened since the first 'Matrix' movie and now we have to be ahead of the wave."

Ironically, it's the man who worked on the 'Matrix' fight sequences, Woo-Ping Yuen, who has upped the ante: Woo-Ping also worked on Ang Lee's martial arts spectacular 'Crouching Tiger' and he's now back at work on the 'Matrix' sequels'.

"I think we're all working with the same people, in the same arena, but we're using it in different ways, which is good,"Silver believes. "Ang Lee used Woo-Ping in 'Crouching Tiger', but it's a very different kind of movie, it's a very artistic, very aesthetic picture. These [Matrix] movies are far harder, more action-packed."

The 'Matrix' sequels, starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss (pictured) and Laurence Fishburne, are currently in production in Canada before moving to Australia later in the year (actors strikes permitting). 'The Matrix 2' is expected to be released in summer 2002.

... More extras are needed for "The Matrix II,"currently filming on [Tom] Hanks' old stomping grounds. Those who call (415) 346-2278 might want to avoid an assignment to occupy a car. Rumor has it that a precision driver was brought in specifically to make sure the stunt drivers don't accidentally hit extras sitting around in parked vehicles.

... The "Matrix"shooting schedule wasn't interrupted by the death last week of star Keanu Reeves' former girlfriend Jennifer Syme. Reeves was a pallbearer at her funeral and buried her next to the grave of their stillborn baby. Ever the pro, he went right back into training for his physically demanding role...

Jada Pinkett-Smith, 29, faced a fitness challenge not shared by Keanu Reeves and company while prepping for her strenuous role in the upcoming Matrix sequels: The actress recently gave birth to her second child ? daughter Willow Camille Reign Smith ? with hubby Will Smith. "I'm still breast-feeding, which made it a little harder to get in shape,"she tells TV Guide Online with a chuckle. "But I was ready to lose some weight, so it was great to get physical. I'm getting pretty good at kung fu."

Considering the level of secrecy surrounding the two new Matrix pics ? which are being filmed back-to-back ? Pinkett-Smith has been forbidden from revealing much about the plot. "I play a kick-ass chick and I'm really digging her,"she previews. "She's very tight with Laurence Fishburne, but that's all I can tell you."

Pinkett-Smith ? who recently completed a small role opposite her better half in the Muhammad Ali biopic, Ali (in which Will stars as The Greatest) ? can next be seen in the family dramedy Kingdom Come (opening Wednesday). "Whoopi Goldberg plays my mother-in-law,"she says, "and she really got on me about my comic timing. Whoopi kept saying, 'Let that line live. Don't step on the beat.'"

Goldberg did more than just coach her on line readings, however. "She was like my big sister,"recalls Pinkett-Smith, who was pregnant with Willow during the film's shoot. "In one scene, I had to fall on the floor. After one take, Whoopi said, 'That's it. The girl is pregnant, she can't do that anymore.'"

While Pinkett-Smith has been spending a lot of time in front of the camera lately, she isn't letting it stand in the way of her family. "If acting was ever jeopardizing my marriage, I'd quit in a minute,"she insists. "I've experienced divorce through Will, who was married once before. It's not a good thing for anybody. We stay close to each other and we stay real by being true to ourselves, not an image of who people think we are." ? Jeanne Wolf

Steve Bastoni has joined the cast as a villain. No word yet on what villian he will play (Agent, Virii, or something totally new) (Reported by the Herald Sun)

The latest plot rumour for the sequel has hit the Net and so far matches what we've seen from the set (if true, be warned as there's SPOILERS ahead). According to Matrix Trilogy Fan Page, the story involves the Matrix fighting back against the growing underground rebellion by unleashing these computer virus agents who basically have the same powers as Neo and their 'infecting' of this world is causing it to fall apart - so much so the Agents eventually turn against them. Neo gets infected and can't access the matrix with his special powers thus must hook up with Morpheus' girlfriend in the real world to find the Robots CPU and destroy the virus' source. Meantime Trinity & Morpheus are trapped inside the Matrix fighting the creatures who, like a virus, can multiply and are very hard to kill (eg. their cut off appendages form into new viruses). Those who want to be extras this week in the production can find out details at Soundwaves. Thanks to 'Evgeni'

The latest plot rumour for the sequel has hit the Net and so far matches what we've seen from the set (if true, be warned as there's SPOILERS ahead). According to Matrix Trilogy Fan Page, the story involves the Matrix fighting back against the growing underground rebellion by unleashing these computer virus agents who basically have the same powers as Neo and their 'infecting' of this world is causing it to fall apart - so much so the Agents eventually turn against them. Neo gets infected and can't access the matrix with his special powers thus must hook up with Morpheus' girlfriend in the real world to find the Robots CPU and destroy the virus' source. Meantime Trinity & Morpheus are trapped inside the Matrix fighting the creatures who, like a virus, can multiply and are very hard to kill (eg. their cut off appendages form into new viruses). Those who want to be extras this week in the production can find out details at Soundwaves. Thanks to 'Evgeni'

Hey folks, Harry here... dis ain't much but it sounds pretty fun... The idea of building a freeway so that you can do stunts that would be illegal on basically real highways... well, that's pretty cool. Though will it be as cool as the hearse stunt in PHANTASM 3? That's the real question!

Hi Harry:

I wrote you once before about a preview screening I saw of Quills. This is the first time I've had anything really to report of "scoop"potential.

At first I thought that it wasn't really newsworthy, but all day today, I've been thinking about it and the few people I've told were like:

"Whoa! That's gonna be cooooool!"

Anyway, here goes. You be the judge.

I went by a friends' house last night. This person wasn't home, but This person's roommates were and one of the them has been working on the Matrix 2 for some time (I'd rather not give too many details, in case This person's job would be in jeopardy. Dunno) This person showed me some "standing-on-the MATRIX freeway"pics. Most of 'em sucked, but one of 'em was really good. "It looks just like a damn freeway"I said. "It IS a freeway"This person said. I'll paraphrase what This person said next:

"I was watching them film (MATRIX 2) and they were doing car stunts that were crazy! They were flipping this car end-over-end ..."20 FEET IN THE AIR"and were "going, like 50 miles per hour"doing the stunts!"

That was about all I got for specifics. This time. I'll try to get more. Dunno if this is worth a post on it's own, but it's something cool that sticks in your head...

talk soon.

Rand

Everywhere you turn in Hollywood, from the grubbiest soundstage to the most posh executive suite, there's a pervading sense of gloom that hasn't been felt since the last Freddie Prinze Jr. premiere. In anticipation of a possible work stoppage by writers and actors, major talent agency UTA recently asked senior agents to defer 20 percent of their salaries into a fund that would help with overhead. Heck, even on the red carpet at last month's Oscars, ''Gladiator'' producer Douglas Wick was heard lamenting, ''My driver asked if there would be a strike.''

The short answer is: probably. The Writers Guild of America (WGA), whose contract expires May 1, hasn't been at the table with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) since March 1, and, at press time, no new talks were scheduled. Though they use completely different sets of numbers, the two sides agree they are roughly $100 million apart on a proposed bump in residual payments to writers for video, cable, foreign, and other secondary revenue streams. And they don't appear to be getting much closer.

Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), whose contracts expire June 30, haven't even formulated their demands, strengthening the Sunset Boulevard consensus that SAG lacks direction. Recent troubles have included everything from outraged members trying to boot some of the union's top leaders to the police being called to quell a spat at a high level meeting on March 27. ''My friend compares SAG to the Russian army,'' says guild spokesman Greg Krizman, who insists the actors' proposals will be finalized at meetings the weekend of April 21. ''It's kinda big, messy, and maybe its shoes don't fit. But ask Napoleon and Hitler about the Russian army.'' (Yes, he did just compare studio moguls to historic despots.)

For Hollywood, a strike would be as financially devastating as a war. In Los Angeles County alone, approximately 467,000 people -- including limo drivers, stylists, florists, waiters, caterers, and bartenders -- base their livelihood on the entertainment industry, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). That's roughly the population of the state of Wyoming. ''The potential economic impact on Los Angeles is $1.8 billion per month,'' says Jack Kyser of LAEDC. ''It's a nightmare.'' (Several industry vets recall businesses closing and people losing their homes as a result of 1988's 22 week writers' strike.)

While the TV networks' hopes for an undisrupted fall hinge on a quick settlement with the unions, the film industry has been shaken by the mere threat of pickets. In fact, the casualties are already piling up. ''We're at D-Day,'' explains Artisan Entertainment CEO Amir Malin. ''Either you have a film going or you don't.'' ''It's too late,'' confirms Nina Jacobson, president of Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group. ''Right now we're prepping movies for after the strike. But we can't set a start date, so all you can do is say, 'Oh, well.''' In the meantime, here are six movies you won't be seeing anytime soon because of strike jitters:

"THE MATRIX"2 Leave it to the Wachowski brothers to attempt a maneuver as tricky as dodging a clip full of bullets. "We'll shoot for a few months in the Bay Area and then shut down,"says Carrie-Anne Moss, who wriggled back into that sleek, black suit opposite Keanu Reeves on March 26. "They're gonna do effects work and editing during the strike and pick it up after,'' explains a source on the Warner Bros. sequel. But has Moss fully recovered from the leg injury she suffered during her training for "Matrix"2 (which also threatened to delay shooting)? "Totally healed,"she says. "I'm trained and ready, man."

Keanu Reeves fans have been deprived of so much as a glimpse of him on the set of "The Matrix"sequels filming in the East Bay. Watching a chase scene under a freeway entrance, warehouse workers yelled, "We love you, Keanu!"in high-pitched voices, imitating the schoolgirls who would follow their idol anywhere. But only Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss whizzed by in a silver sports car, with Oakland's finest in hot pursuit.

Word is Reeves' scenes are to be shot at the old Alameda Naval Air Station, where security is as tight as when it was an active base. Set designers constructed a freeway in an area where planes once landed -- only appropriate considering how often Keanu was airborne in the first "Matrix."Determined fans might be able to spot the Matrix breaker from the top deck of the Alameda- San Francisco ferry.

-- The best opportunity for Keanu-watching, however, is at San Francisco's better restaurants. At Boulevard the other evening, he was the only one in his party to arrive on time. Fishburne and Moss sauntered in later. Though the stars were discreetly seated at a back table at Betelnut, everyone still knew they were there. Fishburne's people called for reservations. Reeves isn't much of a gourmand. When I asked him where he ate while making "Sweet November"here, he couldn't recall a single spot. In his spare time, Reeves said, he got on his motorcycle and hightailed it out of town.

Diners at the popular La Vecchia Cucina Restaurant in Santa Monica got an unexpected show when Keanu Reeves got up and started showing tae kwon do kicks to a delighted little girl about 7 or 8. He was dining with her and her beautiful blonde mother.

Keanu, currently filming Matrix 2, got so caught up in demonstrating his fancy martial-arts moves that he forgot all about his food. He ended up asking for a doggie bag to go.

According to this San Francisco resident that drove by the Matrix 2 freeway set in Alameda, CA, some of the freeway signs might indicate that the setting for the car chase is indeed supposed to be in the Matrix 2 Silicon Valley! "I sailed by last weekend and saw street signs above the freeway indicating that Silicon Valley has a part in the movie: Woodside Rd, South 101, etcetera."[Scooped by Leo.]

So is it possible that in M2 Neo and his gang have some kind of mission to accomplish in the heart of the computer industry? It would be a change from the Wachowskis' approach so far in making sure all the action took place in a nameless city. The spy photos released on the 'net for the past two weeks have indicated that this seemed to still be the direction being taken with the sequel...but perhaps we'll get to see different cities within the Matrix world in the second film.

Hey folks, Harry here with our spy in the sky above Alameda... snapping shots at the developing set of MATRIX 2.... seems like an extension of the 'alleged' massive car chase sequence in the film. And dear god, that seems like a large stretch of highway to be building.... but I guess if they are going to be filming the most astounding car chase in the history of cinema... building your own highway where YOU MAKE THE RULES.... You control the vertical and the horizontal... well I guess that's important. Damn the Wachowskis are damn serious about this flick... looks huge...

The Matrix II: 'Levendis' has sent in some on-set shots from Oakland. The first is of these 'gray suited' people you've been hearing about which are apparently "computer virus agents"(possibly this 'Lock' character) whilst the second is a 'mobile billboard' promoting "Burlyman"used in the car chase scenes.

Keep those Keanu sightings coming in! The ever-elusive daft savant was spotted "with a long-haired brunette"on the patio at Crepes on Cole last Sunday and dining with "Matrix II"co-star Laurence Fishburne at the Marina's Betelnut last week.

The Matrix II: 'Eric' has arguably the most interesting report so far from the Oakland set:

"I'm one of the many Oakland, CA people who's been watching the filming of Matrix 2. I wasn't going to write, but from the reports that you've posted and what I've seen on Matrix-Online, there's a lot of idiots out there who don't know what's going on and have nothing better to do with their lives than exaggerate the facts so they can get a report posted. The filming has been taking place at several locations in Oakland, not just downtown. According to an AP I spoke with, they're already behind schedule, so who knows how long they'll be on the streets. Wednesday I was on the set all day watching them film what will probably be about 5 secs. of screen-time. It was in a dumpy area of town, so there were not too many gawkers. The two vehicles, the silver and black ones describe in other reports, careen down the street through an intersection while dodging eight cars and then crash through a chainlink fence and continue beneath an overpass. The whole time a silver guy is shooting an Uzi-like gun from the sunroof of the black SUV/pick-up. Laurence and Carrie-Ann were throughout the day there for close-ups.

I also spent some time hanging out at their Alameda site. The buildings you posted a while back are not the buildings where they're HQ'd. Since they were filming downtown while my wife and I poked around the security was exceedingly light. (There were two entrances, only one had a security guard.) We saw a large building being constructed--it was in the early stages but it reminded me of the hotel Mouse where gets killed in Matrix 1. Much of the hanger was dedicated to revamping cars. Lots of stunt cars with trunks cut off and stuff. Since I know where to go and how to get in I'll probably check out the site weekly and keep you posted if I see anything of interest.

One thing I thought was interesting that I haven't read anyone note anywhere: the Silvermen are wearing long cloaks like Neo's--except, obviously, they're silver not black.

I find their look to be very odd considering that the villains in Matrix 1 were dressed very conservatively and didn't stick out in a crowd. These guys are almost the exact opposite of the normality shown by Agent Smith's appearance. It doesn't seem that logical machines would change so drastically and say, "Screw conformity, let's just look whacked out and cool."I'm doubting that these guys are the "new agents.""

We're talking about a mega-set for "Matrix"II and III -- which star Laurence Fishburne and Keanu Reeves and start filming this week.

The faux freeway was put up in two months by workers from the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Local 16, and it has everything from overpasses to on- and off-ramps.

Lucky the script didn't call for a bridge, or they'd still be debating it.

We're talking about a mega-set for "Matrix"II and III -- which star Laurence Fishburne and Keanu Reeves and start filming this week.

The faux freeway was put up in two months by workers from the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Local 16, and it has everything from overpasses to on- and off-ramps.

Lucky the script didn't call for a bridge, or they'd still be debating it.

Blue Pill reveals pictures from a different MATRIX 2 location! Click and collect them all! Hey folks, Harry here... So now we've seen the production move from the open air streets, to the Weber Street tube in downtown Oakland.... This time we had the Blue Pill, itself, taking images for us... He/she/it blended and merged straight into the fence surrounding the set itself. As you can tell, he was freely able to just shift his location at will... Ahhhhh, AICN spies are like Matrix Agents mixed with Darkman.... They are everyone and noone, the teeming masses of wide open eyes... And they rule.... Here ya go....

Hi,

I'm attaching some images I shot while watching the filming of Matrix 2 on the morning of March 29th at the Weber Street tube in downtown Oakland. I arrived at the scene just as they were about to film a sequence in which the silver Cadillac was being chased by the silver dreadlock dudes in their black Cadillac truck (which was being followed by about 4 or 5 fake police cars). As security seriously tightened right before the scene was shot, I was not able to capture any images while the scene was being shot. But what I did capture was taken immediately before and after the scene. The scene I saw may have been the same one that Burlyman described, because I saw the silver Cad make a right turn (heading toward the exit of the pillar area under I-880) and crash into something. There was a loud crashing sound, and I saw sparks flying. I thought this was part of the scene, but Burlyman makes it sound like this was an "accident". However, Burlyman was describing a "basement level parking garage"scene. There were cars parked in this area, but it was an area under I-880 near the Weber tube entrance.

Anyway, here are the images. There are 13 in all, so it looks like I'll need to send 4 additional messages.

Blue Pill