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

Dateline: Thursday, January 31, 2002

By: CHRISTOPHER ALLAN SMITH
By: News Editor
Source: Wizard Magazine

Although it's still unclear what exactly THE MATRIX fans can expect with the premiere of the prequel series of animated shorts titled ANIMATRIX, more details about the mysterious project are coming to light.

In an interview with WIZARD magazine, MATRIX producer Joel Silver revealed MATRIX creators Andy and Larry Wachowski will write half of the 10 shorts, with Japanese anime masters including Yoshiaki Jawajiri(* Kawajiri) (VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST) and Mahiro Maeda (BLUE SUBMARINE NO. 6) whose short will be animated by the same house that did FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRIT WITHIN.

What's more, the shorts now have a vague release window: this fall. They're expected to hit the web first then be collected on a DVD at some later date.

Here is the hidden explosion scene photo in Matrix Official site that was taken in Almada on 25th January.

The Matrix goes X-Rated? -- Buckle your seatbelt Dorothy, 'cause the Matrix Reloaded is going X Rated...
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
News : Movies : The Matrix: Reloaded :

I'd recommend you take this as being totally unconfirmed, it certainly hasn't been rumored anywhere else.

"One of my classmates in my drama class auditioned for a part in Matrix 2. She said that all the females who auditioned had to do so in the nude, with no body hair except for eyebrows and the hair on their heads. She said the dancers would be behind a screen for the movie. If I get more info I'll be sure to update this."

Thanks to "BrandyLin" for emailing it in. Although it's possibly fake we'll keep an eye on it (no innuendo intended, of course )

While stunt coordinator Yuen Woo Ping spent eight hours a day for four months training and rehearsing fight choreography with actors Keanu Reeves and Lawrence Fishburne for "Matrix," casting Dacascos eliminated this expensive and time-consuming approach.

Keanu Reeves dining solo at Zababa in Hall St, Bondi, on Thursday night . . .

SPOTTED . . . Former NSW premier Barrie Unsworth buying cakes before hopping in a white Mercedes up Avalon way earlier this week . . . Erica Baxter and Isla Fisher on Victoria St, Darlo, on Thursday. Not too far up the road was celebrated wog boy Nick Giannopoulos, with Eden Gaha and Mary Coustas . . . Jane Flemming and ginger-topped newshound Hugh Rimington watching Johnny Depp in Blow at the WHO Weekly OpenAir Cinema on Thursday night . . . Keanu Reeves challenging staff to source some of his favourite vino at Wine Banc on Thursday evening . . . Hoodoo Guru Dave Faulkner and Mike Carlton, at different tables, at Aqua Dining in North Sydney.

Italian actress wants to conquer America

'Brotherhood of the Wolf' features Monica Bellucci January 13, 2002

BY TERRY LAWSON FREE PRESS MOVIE WRITER

Monica Bellucci wants it made clear: She is not one of those models-turned-actors who dismisses her previous profession as "superficial" or a "stepping stone."

[Snipped for Matrix]

"After that, I began to get invitations from American directors, but I wanted to do more than play the girlfriend, you know," says Bellucci, though she did exactly that in 1999's "Under Suspicion" as Gene Hackman's trophy wife. Back in France, she completed "Brotherhood," then took a lead role in "Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra," a sequel to a French blockbuster starring Gerard Depardieu and Christian Clavier as two of the country's most beloved comic-strip characters.

"It may not be released in America, because the humor doesn't do well with the subtitles," she says. "It is a big, broad comedy, very fun."

That means it may be more than a year before America gets to see her on screen again. She spent much of last fall and plans to spend some of this year completing work on "The Matrix Reloaded" and its sequel, tentatively titled "The Matrix Revolutions." The first film, and maybe the second, will be released in 2003, and Bellucci says she has a "significant" role in both. She will not say who or what that is, but she does say it is not the part originally intended for the singer Aaliyah, who was killed last year in a plane crash.

"It is all very hush-hush, but I will tell you one thing I didn't expect: The films will be very beautiful. It's not all stunts and effects and action. There is something beyond that in these, and I can't wait to see them finished; I'm just like everyone else."

Fiming of the explosion scene was officialy confirmed.The old article is here.

'Synopsis' sent us the latest from "The Matrix Reloaded" set at the University of Las Vegas. Check it out...

I work as a security guard at the university of las vegas, and thought you'd like to know that some scenes of matrix 2 were being shot. From Jan. 3-6, a few scenes were shot. Keana(Keanu) reeves was there in full leather outfit, however he was the only cast member i recognized because i couldnt get too close.

the scenes involved a lot of work with trapeze and wire, and keanu was involved in a lot of action shots (firing guns and what not).

Anyways, just thought id let you know. I'll keep my eyes open for any more info.

Thanks to 'Synopsis' for the good catch.

I think the article from Star was one of various rumor.

Fiming of the explosion scene was officialy confirmed.The old article is here.

A SPOKESMAN for The Matrix sequels -- now in production at Sydney's Fox Studios -- has confirmed that directors the Wachowski brothers have applied for permission to set off an explosion at midnight on February 14 at the disused White Bay power station near Sydney.

When the $393,000 set is blown up, there will not be a fireball. According to the Spokesman, "that will all be done in post" (that is, post-production). If you can check it out, send us a report.

Wow!!. W DirectorZ and Uncle J has so great a choice!!(sorry sorry Japanese Matrix-Keanu fans around us call the directors "W kanotoku(director)S(Z)" and we call Producer Joel Silver "Uncle J" with respect and love)

The confidential told AICN that Colin Chou had joined the Matrix sequels.According to IMDB,his credits are here.His another name is Sing Ngai.Since 1997 he has changed his actor's name from Sing Ngai to his real name Colin Chou.I remember Japanese media reported the man named "Chou" that coached Keanu for action,though I must make it sure.I am too excited and can't wait to see Matrix sequels!!

From "HongKong Action Fuunji" published by Kinema Jyunpou From "The bodyguard from Beijing" (1994) (Japanese title is "Target Blue")

Colin Chou's filmography City of Darkness (1999) Mo him wong (1996) .... The Movie Star/Hung Sing Dao (1995) .... On's Real Father Gei ba ba de xin (1995) .... Thug ... aka Jet Li's The Enforcer (2000) (USA: DVD title) Hu meng wei long (1995) .... Vice Captain ... aka Red Wolf, The (1995) Qi du xian feng (1995) .... Li Fan ... aka Drug Fighters, The (1995) (Hong Kong: English title) Xiao fei xia (1995) .... Shek ... aka Teenager Master (1995) Jiu pin zhi ma guan bai nian Bao Qing Tian (1994) .... Shang Wai ... aka Hail the Judge (1994) Mou mian bi (1994) .... Yamamoto's Man ... aka Don't Give a Damn (1994) Xin ying xiong ben se (1994) .... Holland Boy ... aka Return to a Better Tomorrow (1994) Zhong Nan Hai bao biao (1994) .... Wong ... aka Bodyguard from Beijing, The (1994) ... aka Defender, The (2000) (USA: DVD title) Qu mo dao zhang (1993) .... Star ... aka Exorcist Master (1993) Yat do king sing (1993) .... Siu-Chuen ... aka Blade of Fury (1993) Yi tian tu long ji zhi mo jiao jiao zhu (1993) .... Sung Ching Su ... aka Evil Cult, The (1993) ... aka Lord of the Wu Tang (1993) (USA: video title) Jing ling bian (1992) .... Che ... aka Banana Spirit (1992) (Hong Kong: English title) ... aka Slickers vs. Killers (1991) Long feng zei zhuo zei (1990) .... No. 1's Partner ... aka Dragon Versus Phoenix (1990) Lie huo jie tou (1989) .... Chou Hsiao-Lung ... aka Into the Fire (1989) Pa xiu gui (????) .... Sing ... aka Shyly Spirit (????)

This article is from AICN.

Aquagreen here, with an inside scoop on the Matrix Sequels:

Before I begin, I have a warning to all martial art movie fans, and Matrix fans - of course: Get Ready, the Biggest Bad Ass of all villains has landed inside the Matrix!!!

It appears that the role originally offered to Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh was given to veteran Hong Kong action star Collin Chou (aka Ng Sing). The amazing fact is that the Matrix Production has been able to keep this casting secret under wraps for nearly a year!!!

For those that are not familiar with Collin Chou, he's most famous for playing the assassin opposite Jet Li in "Bodyguard From Beijing" (aka "The Protector" under US Video Title). To get a glimpse of this guy's martial art capability, just watch the video and you'll notice he's just as good if not much more dynamic than Jet Li! Personally I think he's got the Best Kicks of all action stars in the world!

It also helps that Collin Chou was working for Yuen Woo-Ping's stunt team during the Matrix Pre-Production. I'm sure there had been a strong lobbying of support from Master Yuen to get Collin the part that so many actors were pursuing.

There is also an interesting twist relating to Collin getting this role. Back in 1996 Warner Brothers had approached Collin to play the villain in "Lethal Weapon 4" opposite Mel Gibson, because the producers liked what they saw in "Bodyguard From Beijing". However in the last minute they decided to give the role to Jet Li instead, hoping that would boost the Asian Boxoffice. Flash forward five years the tide has shifted to Collin's favor under the most unexpected circumstance. This may be the biggest irony of all. Talk about fate, or karma may be???

I don't know too much about the character Collin's playing, the only tip I got is he's playing a protagonist (Collin the Villain playing a good guy? Can't wait!!!) alongside Keanu Reeves' "Neo". The bottom line is I can't wait to see him explode out of the silver screen in the biggest movies of 2003 and 2004!!!

Madame Matrix

Monica Bellucci gets intimate with EW.com -- The Italian film star chats about ''The Matrix'' sequels and ''Brotherhood of the Wolf'' by Brian Hiatt

If Italian actress Monica Bellucci becomes a full-fledged sex symbol in the U.S. -- as she already is in Europe -- she'll be a most unusual one. Unlike your average Hollywood hottie, the 33-year-old is fluent in three languages, and when she mentions Michelangelo and Raffaello, she's not talking about ninja turtles.

Bellucci drew attention here in 2000 when Miramax distributed ''Malena,'' an Italian period piece that cast her as a small-town beauty whose looks spark obsession in men and rage in women. That role led the Wachowski brothers to cast Bellucci in 2003's sequels to ''The Matrix.'' Until then, U.S. audiences can see her in ''Brotherhood of the Wolf,'' the new foreign blockbuster that sets ''Matrix''-style action in pre-revolutionary France. Recently, Bellucci told EW.com about her fondness for onscreen nudity, her multi-national career, and her thoughts on Britney Spears.

Why did you decide to do the ''Matrix'' movies?

Many American actresses are uncomfortable with on-screen nudity. You don't seem to have that problem.

In Europe, you're a huge sex symbol. Here, many people are similarly fixated on Britney Spears. Any thoughts on what that says about our respective cultures?

In its own fashion, ''Brotherhood of the Wolf'' is definitely an action movie, which is unusual for French cinema...

In Europe you're tremendously famous, but less so in America right now. How is it different walking in the streets here?

When the ''Matrix'' movies come out, won't that change your profile here?

Do you have a favorite Bruce Willis movie?

Monica Bellucci, who will appear in the upcoming sequels to The Matrix, told SCI FI Wire that she's a big fan of the work of writer/directors Andy and Larry Wachowski. "All I can say is that I'm very happy to be a part of the project, because I love the Wachowski brothers' work," the Italian actress said in an interview. "I loved the first Matrix, and, maybe because I'm a woman, I loved Bound," the brothers' acclaimed 1996 film about a pair of lesbians who rob a Mafia boss.

Bellucci (The Brotherhood of the Wolf) joins Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix 3, which are currently in production. "It's a very hush-hush project," she said. "Everybody's very secretive about it." She added, "The Matrix Reloaded has a great cast, and it was a great experience for me. I haven't seen anything yet. I'm just one of the new characters in the story." Both films are slated for 2003 releases.

We reported the planning of fiming the huge explosion at White Bay on 14th Feb.(This report is here). It has been confirmed by Dark Horizons: A rep confirms that explosions will take place at White Bay Power Station on Feb 14th "but certainly no fireball!". Carrie Ann-Moss is the only cast member involved.

Tuesday, January 8, 2002

MOVIES

Springing to Action

Adopting Hong Kong's style of martial arts scenes, with their ballet-like moves, has helped movie makers revive a genre with less graphic violence.

(Industry observers say "The Matrix," with Keanu Reeves, revitalized the way Hollywood approached action.)

Just when it seemed that the Hollywood action film had reached its nadir, a victim of one too many car crashes and explosions, it has been reborn—with a decidedly Asian flavor.

The prevalence of martial arts and Hong Kong-style balletic choreography in American movies over the past few years has not only refreshed the genre but also made it more accessible to a wider audience, because the violence is less graphic and therefore more ratings-friendly. In addition, action films, which were once almost exclusively the purview of white male protagonists, have become more inclusive, featuring female actors and ethnic minorities in heroic roles.

Though it has been evident in American movies since the first time Bruce Lee kicked his way to cult fame in the '60s, the influence of the stylized Hong Kong action genre truly broke through to the mainstream with the Wachowski brothers' "The Matrix" in 1999, according to many industry observers, revitalizing the way Hollywood approached action in the most significant way since a guy named Bond, James Bond, flicked his first high-tech gadget 40 years ago.

The influence of the Hong Kong style goes well beyond Hollywood. The French-language adventure "Brotherhood of the Wolf," which opens Friday, is replete with martial arts and balletic choreography. It adds a decidedly modern twist to the 18th century supernatural thriller based on the legendary story of a hunt for the notorious beast of Gevaudan, which terrorized the French countryside in the years preceding the French Revolution.

"Wolf" director Christophe Gans says he deliberately opted for stylized action as a way of bringing contemporary vitality to the movie. "'Brotherhood' is about old themes [such as] chivalry, and if you want to talk to young audiences, you have to reference their generation, which is familiar with video games and martial arts," Gans says.

If "The Matrix," which used the Hong Kong style in a futuristic sci-fi setting, was the breakthrough, then the 2000 independent hit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," directed by Taiwan-born filmmaker Ang Lee, confirmed its box-office potential for mainstream audiences. (Yuen Woo-Ping did the choreography for both "The Matrix" and "Crouching Tiger.") Lee based "Crouching Tiger" on his fond memories of watching Hong Kong movies as a boy, and the film plugged into the action audiences' appetite for martial arts and a quasi-mythological dimension that also informed "The Matrix" and the earlier cult hit "The Crow" (1994), starring the late Brandon Lee.

The Hong Kong style was more than just a genre, encompassing talents as diverse as John Woo ("Hard-Boiled"), Tsui Hark ("Peking Opera Blues"), King Hu ("A Touch of Zen") and Yuen Woo-Ping ("Iron Monkey"). But it has come to be an all-purpose label for a highly stylized and carefully choreographed manner of dealing with violence and physical action, everything from various kinds of martial arts to swordplay and gun battles. What Bruce Lee did with his fists of fury, Jackie Chan accomplished with his acrobatics and Chow Yun-Fat with bullets.

Elements from Hong Kong films first began to surface in American movies such as Ridley Scott's 1989 film "Black Rain," says director Peter Hyams, who then used them in his own 1994 film "Timecop," starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, and more recently in last year's "The Musketeer."

The use of Hong Kong-style action provided a justification for revisiting Alexandre Dumas' swashbuckling, much-filmed "Three Musketeers" tale, Hyams says. He was less interested in the martial arts element than in the balletic choreography, which enhanced and revitalized the swordplay sequences.

"As with the Hong Kong films, it's breathtaking and also cartoon-like," Hyams says. "It allows the audience to sit back and be amused by the athleticism and the beauty of the choreography."

The popularity of video games among the young generation of filmgoers also helped set the stage for the acceptance of martial arts and Asian-influenced action, says film critic David Chute, who has written extensively about Hong Kong films.

"Since many of the games were designed in Japan, it was a way of acclimating [U.S.] audiences to that kind of movement and to Asian-looking heroes," Chute says. That helped pave the way for crossover stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li and for the importation of Hong Kong talents like John Woo.

Since "The Matrix," stylized Hong Kong-style action has permeated American movies from "Mission: Impossible 2" (directed by Woo) to "Charlie's Angels" (choreographed by Hong Kong veteran Yuen Cheung Yan) and "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (which is based on a video game). Elements even pop up in films as diverse as "Ocean's Eleven" (in the acrobatics of actor Shaobo Qin) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," in the kinetic bouncing-off-the-wall battle between Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Saruman (Christopher Lee).

Proof of how well-known the Hong Kong style is today comes from the fact that it is ripe for spoofing in films like "Shrek," "Scary Movie 2" and Steve Oedekerk's comedy "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist," which opens Jan. 18.

For Oedekerk, the film is as much homage as a sendup. He has been a fan of Hong Kong movies since the '70s. He says that the continuing fascination with Hong Kong movies emanates from the athleticism of the violence. "It's very much like watching a sport. Movies like 'Crouching Tiger' then took it to another level in which you wondered, is it fighting or is it ballet? It's a wonderfully expressive art form."

The popularization of the Hong Kong style arrived in the nick of time for Hollywood, says Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan. The bone-crunching, bloody nature of the action genre had not only peaked creatively but its excesses were also coming under attack from Washington. Stricter enforcement of the R rating also made gore-fest films less economically viable. The new stylization "allows Hollywood to have its cake and eat it too," says Turan.

At the same time, the Hong Kong style has broadened the audience for action movies. Hollywood has repeatedly tried and failed to create viable female action heroes. The mixture of women and guns never quite jelled on the big screen. But when it came to making a film version of the popular "Charlie's Angels," producer Leonard Goldberg says that martial arts choreography was the perfect blend of subject matter and style.

"'The Matrix' raised the bar," says Goldberg. "We knew we had to reach for a new kind of action. You couldn't just shoot people and have standard stunt fights."

One of the hallmarks of the Hong Kong style is a mixture of action and comic absurdity. And when Goldberg previewed "Charlie's Angels" for audiences, the combination of humor and fluid movement received high marks from audiences, who accepted and applauded the female stars' physical prowess.

It has also taken the sting out of violence, allowing more action films to be rated PG-13 instead of R, enabling Hollywood to market these movies to the all-important core teenage moviegoer. On the other end, segments of the older audience who were turned off by hard-edged action have also become converts to this new style.

"It's not as threatening as gunplay," Hyams says. "You're not killing or maiming people. If it wasn't true before Sept. 11, it's now safe to say that shooting people is not amusing. When people leap into the air and spin, you don't take it quite as seriously. It's like telling the audience they don't have to worry."

Now that it's reached critical mass, however, directors like "Brotherhood of the Wolf's" Gans wonder how movies can sustain these stylized elements without descending into parody. Hyams and others contend that it will probably become a staple, though Hollywood is unlikely to abandon car chases and gunplay.

In his next film, Gans plans to combine movement with magic as a way of evolving the style. And Goldberg is working hard to make sure that the "Angels" sequel and his upcoming "Wonder Woman" film credibly evolve the style. "We can't do what we did before. We have to continue to push the envelope," Goldberg says.

The Hong Kong style will continue to develop because it is part of a tradition of physical action that is as old as movies themselves, Gans believes. "If you look at Buster Keaton or Douglas Fairbanks movies, what still amazes you today is their physical ability," Gans says. "The only special effects that never grow old are what you can do with the human body."

ALSO SPOTTED: Matrix local Hugo Weaving taking a Saturday afternoon walk with family and friends along Victoria Street, Darlinghurst.

The Matrix Reloaded : Melbourne's Herald Sun got talking to Lord of the Rings star Hugo Weaving about his role in the upcoming Matrix sequel. Of his reprisal of Agent Smith, Weaving told the paper "There are developments (in the character). He's definetly the villain and I figure I've got to have a good time with him. He's the baddy. There are developments which I won't divulge, but I think they're fantastic".

Producers of Matrix sequels plan huge explosion

The producers of The Matrix sequels are plotting a huge explosion for Sydney on Valentine's Day.

They plan to create a large fireball at the White Bay power station outside the city.

The films producers are believed to have submitted an application to build a set for The Matrix Reloaded at the former coal-fired power station.

According to www.countingdown.com, they plan is to explode the set, and cause a 20 metre high fireball at midnight on February 14.

The explosion will last up to five seconds, and could reach a sound of 110 decibels, which is as loud as an average rock concert.

TOUGH CHICK: She can kick Keanu Reeves' can. It's just that simple. Jada Pinkett Smith has been turned into a lean, mean fighting machine for "Matrix 2" and "Matrix 3." A report from the set: "I'm Niobi and I'm mean and tough," promises Pinkett. "I'm the female Morpheus." Four months of fight training in Oakland, Calif., before shooting started didn't hurt. "It was hard-core training. Kung fu. Wire work," says Pinkett Smith. "These guys from China who were my teachers said, 'Jada, you missed your calling. You should have been a professional kickboxer.' It's true. I'm little, but I'm mighty."