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

Michelle Yeoh has no regrets about turning down 'Matrix' role

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian-born actress Michelle Yeoh said Wednesday she has no regrets about rejecting a major role in the "Matrix'' sequels to film her new movie, which she hopes will thrill audiences as much as her last hit, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.''

Filmed in Tibet and China, "The Touch'' cost dlrs 20 million to produce _ dlrs 5 million more than the Oscar-winning "Crouching Tiger'' _ and opens Thursday throughout Asia, where the action star's massive fan base ensures rousing box-office returns.

But the movie, which enjoyed a sold-out premiere Tuesday in Malaysia, is no retread of director Ang Lee's Chinese-language epic. Yeoh, known for her Asian martial arts prowess, transforms herself into a contemporary heroine reminiscent of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft of "Tomb Raider.''

"There is no comparison between 'The Touch' and 'Crouching Tiger,' which was a period piece,'' Yeoh told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur. "The film language, the action is very modern. There's no flying around.''

But Yeoh, who co-produced the English-language movie, believes it will not disappoint viewers in Europe _ or in the United States, where "Crouching Tiger'' became the country's highest-grossing foreign-language movie ever, with a box-office haul of dlrs 128 million.

"We made this movie for an international audience,'' said Yeoh, who grew up in the mining town of Ipoh, 270 kilometers (170 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, and began her rise to stardom after winning the Miss Malaysia beauty pageant in 1983.

"The essence of this film looks at how East meets West. We have all these different elements, which I'm very, very confident will transcend whatever language, whatever culture, wherever the place,'' Yeoh said.

The movie, directed by Peter Pau, who won an Oscar for his cinematography in "Crouching Tiger,'' features Yeoh as a trapeze acrobat who gets tangled in a quest for a mystical Buddhist artifact.

The script is a hackneyed blend of romance, humor and swashbuckling, but the movie soars during Yeoh's limb-twisting action sequences and panoramic views of Tibet's Namtso Lake.

Miramax Films has bought the U.S. distribution rights for "The Touch,'' which is the first movie from Yeoh's new production firm, Mythical Films. It is expected to be released in the United States later this year.

To complete "The Touch,'' Yeoh surprised fans early last year when she turned down an offer by the Wachowski brothers, who courted her to star in their sequels to the science-fiction blockbuster, "The Matrix.''

But Yeoh, whose biggest role so far was in "Tomorrow Never Dies'' in the James Bond franchise, says she doesn't mind not appearing with Keanu Reeves when "The Matrix Reloaded'' _ the first of two planned sequels _ hits screens in May 2003.

"I don't have any regrets,'' Yeoh said. "Not doing 'The Matrix' wasn't a difficult choice, to be honest. 'The Touch' was the easy No. 1 choice.''

Yeoh, who turns 40 next week, says she has no plans to retire from the adrenaline-pumping movies that have been her staple for 15 years, which have seen her kickfighting alongside Asia's top male action stars, including Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

"I'm blessed with the fact that I have physical abilities, so while I can, why do I have to turn around and say I only want to do movies where I'm only sitting down, walking and standing still,'' she said. - AP

The life you think is real may be just a computer simulation

IT MAY seem as far-fetched as science fiction can get, but The Matrix might be uncomfortably close to the truth.

Just like Keanu Reeves in the hit movie, we could all be living inside a computer simulation.

If so, says one expert, you had better be careful not to get yourself deleted.

The idea sounds insane. But Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Yale University in the United States, has done the calculations.

His conclusion is that our lives could well be programs developed by a post-human society living in what we think of as the future.

He is not the only one to take the theory seriously.

Robin Hanson, from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, goes further and says the way we come across to our "creator" might determine whether we live or die.

In a paper submitted to the journal Mind, Bostrom outlines how he reached his chilling conclusion.

He argues that if it becomes technologically possible to mimic consciousness, the future can only lead one of three ways.

First, an extinction event might wipe us out before it is achieved, in which case there is no need to worry.

Real life is real life.

Second, future humans will not be interested in running simulations, or there may be laws against it.

But the most likely outcome, argues Bostrom, is that humans will one day simulate consciousness and then go on to simulate universes for it to live in.

If that is true, the chances are it has already happened and we are living in one.

It has been suggested that simulating a mind with a computer program would take about 10 to the power of 14 operations per second.

While that may seem a tall order, such technology could be available by the end of the century, says Bostrom.

Of course, we may be part of the pre-simulation real world or ''original history'', he says.

But given how many simulations there will be, the odds are stacked against it.

According to Bostrom, we should simply accept the situation and live life normally. But Hanson disagrees.

He says that if your life is a computer simulation, you should do everything possible to avoid being deleted.

The first step is to work out the purpose of the simulation. If it is for entertainment, then you should be funny, outrageous, sexy, violent, strange, pathetic and heroic.

If the simulation is for the creator to participate in, then it makes sense to "suck up to celebrities''.

On the other hand, if the creator is playing God and dishing out rewards and punishments for behaviour, one should try to live a blameless life.

Hanson, an economist, warns that it will not do for everyone to realise they are in a simulation.

If that happened, the whole model would start to look staged, and the creator would be likely to pull the plug.

For that reason, says Hanson, keep the secret to yourself and just a few friends.

But Bostrom believes such advice is useless because it is almost impossible to work out what our world is for.

Would you like to comment on this article?

The Matrix was just one of those concepts that was really hard to get your head round. For someone to say, OK, there's this other world, and the computers have taken over, right?' And you're like, OK! I think I'd better go straight to Wild Wild West."

And Jada?

"When I was originally going to do the first Matrix she was keen for me to get involved. But now she's like, You stay the hell away from this movie."

Torres Enters The Matrix

Gina Torres, who has a role in the upcoming Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions sequel movies, told SCI FI Wire that her character is the widow of Anthony Ray Parker's character from the original Matrix. "I play a character named Cass," Torres said in an interview. "I'm Dozer's widow. He didn't make it in the last one. He died. He was one of the first to go."

Torres added that her character doesn't dwell in the Matrix itself. "I guess that much I can tell you: I'm in Zion," the last human city, she said. "I'm Real World."

Torres, known for her female-warrior roles in TV's Cleopatra 2525 and ABC's Alias, added that she didn't have to undergo the rigorous martial-arts training the other Matrix cast members went through. Beyond that, she declined to talk about her role in the films.

Torres will also be seen in the fall on Fox's upcoming SF TV series Firefly, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. "I am the first mate" of a ship in a futuristic postwar universe, she said. "Her name is Zoe. She has a very loyal relationship with the captain, Mal [Nathan Fillion]. And she's married to the pilot, whose name is Wash [Alan Tudyk]. But she's a fierce warrior, soldier, woman ... with a soft side." Firefly debuts Sept. 20.

Matrix producer's plan to mix large with small

First movies that provide a model for Australian film-makers ... Blood Simple (top) and Pi.

The time is right for Australian film-makers to make modestly budgeted films like Blood Simple and Pi using digital video cameras, says one of the country's busiest producers.

Fresh from completing the shoot for the Rhys Ifans-Miranda Otto romantic comedy Danny, Andrew Mason is planning up to four "digital films" a year. Each will cost about $1million and will be ready for digital projection when it arrives in cinemas. He hopes to have the first two films in production this year.

"The idea is films being made in an incredibly flexible medium that doesn't have vast overheads attached to it," he says. "The creators of these films will be able to have much greater freedom.

"We're trying to bring back a bunch of opportunities for people who haven't made a film before or who have made one film and really struggled to get into a second film but have something else they desperately want to say."

As the Australian producer for many of the American films that have been shot in this country - including The Matrix, Red Planet, The Queen of the Damned and Scooby-Doo - Mason is looking to mix large with small in future. He is involved in four productions at the moment - the Hollywood comedy Down and Under, director Russell Mulcahy's drama Swimming Upstream and director Jeff Balsmeyer's Danny are all in post-production and the two sequels to The Matrix are within a month of wrapping in Sydney.

So Mason is looking to the future - in more ways than one. He wants these digital films to be "strong edgy work from great individual viewpoints".

"We're not going to be dealing with films that require huge production values. So it's unlikely we could do big science fiction or action, although action has a number of variations.

"But we'd point to a bunch of rather famous first films, from Blood Simple from the Coen brothers or Pi from Darren Aronofsky. Or Cube by Vincenzo Natali."

Mason says these films were made on relatively low budgets with a strong visual style and good performances, based on clear central ideas. He wants the Australian equivalents to have the option of a cinema release but to be made predominantly for a television audience.

"It would be our greatest joy to find there was a real theatrical life for all these films but the financing won't be dependent on it."

Despite the often disappointing results from "credit card" films and the mixed outcome for the Australian Film Commission-SBS Independent's Million Dollar Movies initiative that produced Fresh Air, Mall Boy, City Loop, La Spagnola and A Wreck, A Tangle, Mason believes a feature can still be made for $1 million.

He believes film-makers have often tried to make films with "normal production parameters", such as shooting on 35mm film, while squeezing the budget. "There is a vastly greater level of flexibility and vastly lower level of fixed costs involved in shooting digitally."

To finance a package of digital films, Mason is negotiating with broadcasters and American producer Ed Pressman (Conan the Barbarian, Wall Street, The Crow), who is involved in a similar low-budget initiative in the United States.

"We've got some screenplays already that we like. Projects are beginning to line up."

In the past year, Mason has produced both Swimming Upstream, starring Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis, and Danny, about a man who goes on an accidental balloon journey. His involvement in Hollywood-backed films pays for "the indulgence of optioning and developing scripts" for his own projects, he says.

"It's a sort of insane indulgence to try to be a producer in Australia. Everybody's got to have something else going on."

Carrie Anne-Moss is "Suspect Zero"

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Carrie Anne Moss from "The Matrix" trilogy will star as the female lead in "Suspect Zero" for director E. Elias Merhige. She joins Aaron Eckhart, who has already been cast as the lead in the film.

Based on a screenplay by Zak Penn ("X-Men 2"), Eckhart plays a Dallas-based FBI agent investigating the case of a murdered serial killer. As he works his way up the chain, he must now find the "suspect zero," who is the guy in charge of all the killings and hundreds of deaths.

More Matrix Shooting for Pinkett-Smith

Date:23-Jul-2001
From:Comingsoon.net(The detail is here)

More Matrix Shooting for Pinkett-Smith

Columnists Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith report an interesting fact bit about The Matrix sequels shooting.

According to them, Jada Pinkett-Smith is leaving yet again for Australia, to finally complete her work on the two flicks that'll be released next year.

It'll at last be a wrap for Jada on the Keanu Reeves starrer the end of August -- after a year of work.

According to the official website for the San Diego Comicon, Warner Brothers will preview 'The Matrix Reloaded' along with other upcoming WB films at 2:30 in room 20. While specifics on the presenation itself are slim, all the site says is that this portion of the WB presentation will be "very special!" For more info on the event, hit the link below!

Macquarie University to Hold Matrix Philosophy Event

A high-tech helicopter has been buzzing around Sydney recently for The Matrix sequel, The Matrix Reloaded. Here's a chance to see the original on the big screen, free, followed by a talk by members of Macquarie University's Philosophy Department. Timothy Bayne and David Macarthur will look at questions raised in the film concerning self-knowledge and scepticism - there will also be a Q&A session for audience members to contribute their own thoughts on the subject. Bookings are not necessary and drinks and snacks can be bought in the foyer. Sunday (July 21), 7pm, free, Macquarie Theatre, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, North Ryde.

New Matrix Scoops

Either we have a new friend on the inside or someone is leading us down the garden path..either way, this was posted on our forums. Take it as rumour for now and we will try to verify the source:

Allright Matrix fans..listen and listen well.

Lets just say I work closely on the Matrix. Dont ask me what I do or who I know as i can't afford to tell you anything (I love my job security).

A couple of extras and one of the illustrators working in the 'animation hub' mentioned this site so I thought i would pop in.

I will tell what i can. I will be vague and for this I appologise..But you don't want me to give it all awy.

A few things that some of you may or may not know allready:

1. We are NOT using bullet time anymore..too many lame ass directors stole it for their own movies

2. We have a similar effect..but forget about simple rotation of camera...it now goes ANYWHERE at any SPEED. It is like bulletime on acid...the demo reel I saw was F@#king amazing. And trust me..no-one can steel this sh#t..its un-copyable

3. Agents are not the enemy you seek. However it is established they can take over any object in the matrix..not just other humans.

4. The lady in red may not be back..but look for the waterfall ..hows that for cryptic.

Thats it for now. I will be back. Feel free to ask what you want..Ill answer the good questions with the best info I have.

Dont ask if im real...I dont care what you think...but lets assume I am...taht what i have seen will blow your mind..and remember..no-one can tell you what the Matrix is..but Ill do my best

Jada Pinkett Smith writing song for Matrix soundtrack

Village chief executive Mr. Burke confirmed the company would strike an option to partly fund Matrix: Reloaded and Matrix: Revolutions, which are being filmed in Sydney.

"Clearly we will be [striking the Matrix option]," he said. "We would be nuts not to."

Analysts estimate that Village will have to fork out $300 million ($165 Million US) in February 2003 to fund its half-share of Matrix sequel costs, with the rest paid for by its production partner, Warner. The debt restructure is expected to be completed within months and follows recent talks with US investors.

Burke told Variety on the basis of footage he's seen that "it's the best piece of film investment we've ever made."

Plane Truth

Aaliyah pilot had cocaine, alcohol in his blood. A toxicology test indicates drugs in the system of the pilot behind the controls of the Bahamas flight that killed the singer and eight others last summer by Gary Susman DRUG BUST A toxicology report says that Aaliyah's pilot had drugs and alcohol

The pilot of the small plane that crashed in the Bahamas last August and killed Aaliyah and everyone aboard had cocaine in his urine and alcohol in his blood, according to the results of a toxicology test announced yesterday by the Bahamas Department of Civil Aviation, the Associated Press reports. The news adds to a long list of troubling stories implying that neither the pilot nor the plane were fit to fly, leading to lawsuits filed by the singer's family and the survivors of other passengers on the doomed flight.

It's not clear how the drugs found in the system of 30-year-old Luis Antonio Morales affected his ability to pilot the plane. Earlier reports had noted that Morales had not been authorized to fly a twin-engine Cessna 402-B, that he had been cited for previous safety violations, and that he had been sentenced in Florida to three years of probation on charges of crack cocaine possession 12 days before the crash.

Bahamian authorities issued a preliminary report months ago that suggested that overloading may have caused the small plane to crash shortly after takeoff. Aaliyah and seven other passengers were returning from a video shoot, and the plane was reportedly loaded with enough video gear and people to surpass the plane's weight limit by 700 pounds. Yesterday's report also suggested that the plane's fuel pump may not have been wired and maintained properly. Moreover, the plane's operator, Blackhawk International Airways, didn't have a permit to fly a charter service in the Bahamas.

In May, Aaliyah's parents sued Blackhawk, Virgin Records, and the video production companies behind the shoot, claiming that their negligence and recklessness was behind the crash that killed their 22-year-old daughter. Four similar suits have been filed by the survivors of other passengers.

Jada Pinkett Smith writing song for Matrix soundtrack

Jada Pinkett Smith is working on a song for the soundtrack to The Matrix: Reloaded.

Her husband, Will Smith, says she collaborated with him on his new album.

Will says Jada is working on the track at the studio at the couple's home.

"I haven't been able to get her to sing away from the house," Will said.

"She's not really comfortable with it yet."

Story filed: 10:42 Tuesday 16th July 2002

Keenu Reeves Explains Neo(*** Spoilers ***)

Date:14-Jul-2001
From:Countingdown.com(The detail is here)

Reeves winces and often tugs at his hair, clearly pained by having to explain Neo's motivation -- a messiah by default which, in many ways, echoes his own awkward approach to celebrity.

The actor read the pre-existentialist philosophy of Nietzsche, the willpower theories of Arthur Schopenhauer and the empiricist teachings of David Hume to create Neo's mindframe.

"All of this is synthesised into 'how to be' and the kind of character Neo is in terms of how he views the world -- in terms of how he asks questions," Reeves said.

"He is always saying 'What is truth?' and he is searching for his life. He rejects fate and he doesn't want someone else's destiny.

"In terms of an academic discussion, I don't have the facilities to do that. In terms of a contrast and compare -- the Nietzsche in Superman, or Neo as reluctant hero or messiah -- I can't do that. Larry Wachowski could do that. I can't do that."

Tiny MATRIX Sequel Updates!

Hey folks, Harry here with a tidbit about a backpacking hostel hopping badass known as Phil. He's been on deep deep undercover, scowering the entirety of Australia for scoops, and here's what he's come back with... harry

there has to be some joy to backpacking and staying in hostels for 3 months with stinky backpackers, and this is one of them:

a guy from melbourne (who shall remain nameless) in my hostel works in the army during the day. he's up from melbourne on leave, filming as an extra in the matrix reloaded. to top this off, another guy in exactly the same room was involved with the costumes, although he revealed almost nothing bar a few colours...

the extra was very vague about what's going on, although i do know the following:

* keanu reeves is staying in elizabeth bay, sydney, where i have spotted him on several occasions in the park. he drives a black porsche.

* plot details: tank has 2 children, verified by the costume design bloke

* there is a scene where the main ship rushes towards zion followed by the robot jellyfish things, and the crew are torn between using the anti-weapon thing or not, as this will damage zion.

* castleraigh street was sealed off as the film production crew landed a helicopter in the street.

sorry there is no more details. the extra has been filming 14 hour days, doing one major fight scene involving a large army all in robed outfits.

bestwishes

phil

US gets the first bite

The sequels to The Matrix may be being shot in Sydney but the United States will see the films first.

Warner Brothers announced yesterday that the first of the two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded, would go out on more than 3200 screens in the US on May 15, 2003.

A spokeswoman for the Australian distributor, Village Roadshow, subsequently nominated a local release date of May 28 "at this stage".

The second sequel, The Matrix Revolutions, also will be released next year.

A stunt team in a low-flying helicopter shut down Sydney's Martin Place on Sunday to film daring action scenes for the Matrix sequels.

The chopper dropped below the skyline to film the scenes, but the stars of the two upcoming films were not part of the shoot.

Instead, stunt artists took care of the action.

Producers will use parts of Sydney as a movie set over the next three Sundays, with the chopper to be filmed buzzing between towering buildings in the city centre and north Sydney.

Pedestrians and traffic are being shut out of the filming areas, but NSW Premier Bob Carr said the inconvenience was a small price to pay to be part of the Hollywood action, which generated jobs and other benefits.

"People should remember that this is what's required to secure tens of thousands of jobs, and a lot of money being spent in our city," Mr Carr said.

Joel Silver, producer of all three Matrix films, said the government and local authorities had supported the innovative helicopter sequences.

"I think it's terrific that Sydney is so supportive of film-making on this scale," Mr Silver said.

Warner Sets a Thursday Release for 'Matrix' Sequel

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Warner Bros. Pictures has set the domestic release of "The Matrix Reloaded" for May 15 2003 -- a Thursday -- one day earlier than expected.

The second Matrix sequel, "The Matrix Revolutions," also will be released in 2003, sometime during the holiday season.

"There's a pent-up demand for the movie, and we want to get it out there as soon as we can," said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.' executive VP and general sales manager, domestic distribution. "It's already an event, but we wanted to make it more pronounced."

This is the first time that Warners has released a film on a Thursday.

The first "Matrix" sequel will go out on more than 3,200 screens, eight days before the Memorial Day weekend. This release pattern mimics the one adopted by "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones."

"Matrix Reloaded" is the first film to put a claim on that weekend, with Columbia Pictures' Eddie Murphy starrer "Daddy Day Care" slated to follow May 23. The prior weekend, May 9, brings another Columbia title, the Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starrer "Gigli."

"The Matrix Reloaded" reunites producer Joel Silver and writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski with stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving.

"The Matrix" opened in North America on March 31, 1999, and grossed $458 million worldwide and $171.5 million domestically. It also became the first DVD title to sell 1 million units.

Opera singer Ledisi Young,who has a cult following in the San Francisco area, will have a role in The Matrix Reloaded. No information on how large of a role she will have.

"The MobShop is listing a new DVD reissued version of THE MATRIX coming on 5/6 from Warner, which they list as having new footage. Since I've not seen a press release or read this elsewhere, it is a bit surprising, as you'd think a new MATRIX DVD would be pretty big news and Warner would be trumpeting it. So, we've put out an email to Warner to see what is up, so stay tuned..."

Matrix a traffic-stopper

08jul02

FOR a few hours on Sunday, bustling Sydney was transformed into an empty futuristic metropolis.

Joel Silver, producer of twin sequels to smash hit science fiction movie The Matrix, was overseeing what he called "the most complicated sequence ever put on film".

The 14-minute scene involved a low-flying helicopter with a mounted camera swooping through several abandoned streets and landing in Martin Place in the centre of the city.

A number of streets in central Sydney were closed off to traffic and pedestrians between 3.30pm and 6pm.

Further closures are planned for the next three Sundays.

Directors Andy and Larry Wachowski created revolutionary three-dimensional filming techniques in the first movie, so the movie industry is intrigued by how they will use high-speed airborne sweeps of the city.

Australian actor Hugo Weaving has said the brothers were "talking about the role of the camera being changed enormously".

The $600 million production of the two sequels has been one of the biggest movie projects in Australian film history.

None of the film's Hollywood stars – such as Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne – were involved in yesterday's shoot.

However, during the past year they have been filming in Sydney and have been seen at the city's hottest nightspots.

Matrix shoot shuts city

By Sophie Tedmanson, Entertainment reporter
08jul02

LIKE an old western movie, the streets of Sydney's CBD were eerily still yesterday as a chilly breeze swept through just before dusk.

Then, (cue the techno soundtrack), a giant, silver helicopter came from above a high-rise office building and descended into the city streets, landing loudly in the middle of Martin Place like a scene out of a sci-fi movie. It was indeed that, as cameras on board the chopper were filming part of a 14-minute action sequence for the multi-million dollar sequels to the Hollywood sci-fi film The Matrix.

The sequence included the scenes filmed from the helicopter's "space-cam'' of an empty Castlereagh St.

The chopper was on loan from the ABC, as was its pilot Gary Ticehurst, who manoeuvred the double-engine aircraft vertically up and down Martin Place and hovered below building height down other streets.

According to the film's location manager, Peter Lawless, Castlereagh St was chosen for filming because of its nondescript look.

About 1000 people had gathered to watch the highly publicised scene take place, many hoping to catch a glimpse of The Matrix stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

However, none of the stars were on location yesterday, despite many onlookers thinking they had already seen a piece of Hollywood.

"I think we just saw Keanu,'' said Jessica Hine, 18, who, had braved the cold for more than two hours to watch the filming.

The film's producers were given special permission to close parts of the central city for the shoot (which will continue over the next three Sundays) following a series of meetings with the NSW Premier's Department Filming Roundtable. The roundtable was set up last year to help Sydney's film-making industry to grow.

The Matrix sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, will be released worldwide in 2003.

City gasps as Matrix hedge-hops

THE stunt chopper thundered through the city's tallest buildings and hovered menacingly above people's heads.

Streets were closed off, barricades erected – big-time movie-making was in Sydney for all to see. The twin-engined Bell helicopter that transfixed shoppers in the city streets was being used for the Matrix sequels.

The crowd gasped as the helicopter took shots of the canyon created by buildings along Castlereagh St and then flew around the top of buildings, zooming in here and there.

Keanu Reeves was not in attendance during yesterday's filming as the helicopter, borrowed from the ABC, hovered as little as 50m above their heads.

Martin Place between Pitt and Elizabeth Sts and Castlereagh St between Hunter and King Sts were blocked off from 3.30pm.

More than a thousand people watched in awe behind barriers as the helicopter took off and landed on several occasions.

The first Matrix movie included scenes where a helicopter landed on a Sydney building and also flew between buildings. Yesterday was the first time that a chopper landed in a Sydney street during filming of the Matrix movies.

The shots will be used in the two sequels to The Matrix – The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions . The chopper, carrying a camera fitted to its nose, was filming at dusk, but the scenes will look as if they were taken at night.

Producers in Martin Place had monitors and were able to instantly view the shots the pilot was taking.

Location manager Peter Lawless said the streets could be made to look like any city in the world.

World Exclusive! - Remember that 14 minute sequence? - Spoilers! --

Remember the World Exclusive news we brought you last week about the shooting details for the Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, which we believed to be the shooting of a groundbreaking flight sequence?

Well it turns out it was exactly that, and our very good friends over at Ausmicro.com - The Micro Remotely Controlled Life happend to be near to the set and were cool enough to sent in some exclusive pictures for us:

Certainly cool aint they :) - What's even better is we may have some video footage, as well as some more pictures arriving soon, so keep your eyes peeled to TheMatrixOnline.com for more world exclusive Matrix News :)

Matrix of the trade

FOR a few hours yesterday, Sydney was transformed into an empty futuristic metropolis.

Joel Silver, the producer of twin sequels to smash hit science fiction movie The Matrix, was overseeing what he called "the most complicated sequence ever put on film". The 14-minute scene involved a low-flying helicopter with a mounted camera swooping through several abandoned streets and landing in Martin Place in the centre of the city.

Several streets in central Sydney were closed to traffic and pedestrians between 3.30pm and 6pm. Further closures are planned for the next three Sundays.

Australian actor Hugo Weaving has said the film's directors, brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski, were "talking about the role of the camera being changed enormously".

The $600 million production of the two sequels has been one of the biggest film projects in Australian history.

None of the film's Hollywood stars -- such as Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne -- were involved in yesterday's shoot. But over the past year they have often been seen at Sydney's hottest nightspots and parties.

New South Wales Premier Bob Carr said the production had created 2000 jobs and he was confident Sydneysiders would happily put up with the inconvenience.

The NSW Government has tried to attract more Hollywood productions, and approved the closure of city streets yesterday.

It is not known whether the scenes will feature in the second movie, The Matrix Reloaded, or the third, The Matrix Revolutions.

Both are due for release next year.

Cheap thrills win US stars

SEQUELS Matrix: Reloaded and Revolutions will cement Australia's reputation as the new home of the Hollywood blockbuster.

Expectations are high for the $540 million follow ups to The Matrix, a 1999 sleeper hit that cost $108 million to make and raked in $825 million worldwide. "We couldn't have shot these films without Australia," says producer and Hollywood powerbroker Joel Silver. "These were expensive movies.

"I don't even want to calculate what it would have cost if we did it some place else, especially California. It would be far more than it cost here. It's a great place, a perfect place to work and thank God we could do it."

The sequels -- which have been shooting at Sydney's Fox Studios since last August -- will go to post-production in September. Reloaded is expected to be released next May.

Visual effects teams comprising Australian and US talent have invented the most stunning special effects and actions sequences ever committed to film, Silver tells Weekend magazine.

Actor Keanu Reeves described Sydney as a city of the future.

Reeves, who has been living in Sydney since August, says he enjoys the Australian concept of Friday. "In the States, on Fridays you just keep going," he said.

The Matrix sequels are massive. The Daily Telegraph gives you an idea of what it took and some of the shooting techniques that you can expect:

So this trilogy is an exercise in stretching capabilities. Few businesses have the means or the influence to shut down cities and galvanise disparate public agencies into coordinating such a stunt, let alone afford the insurance cost.

The Matrix Reloaded's production team is one of those businesses. It has dumped at least $150million into the local economy in the past 12 months, creating more than 1000 jobs. Meanwhile, one insider suggests 200 people have been employed for more than two years. This compares with a standard film shoot which is usually completed within three months. "It's an industry," he says.

Yet the $600million production is more than just a boon to Sydney; it is creating a whole other web of hitech industries likely to generate multibillion dollar revenues.

Already, The Matrix Reloaded is the most anticipated film on a number of film fan websites and the single biggest project that's ever been filmed here. Yet simultaneously, video games (for both console platforms and online) have been filmed in Sydney and source material for a TV series, a documentary, cartoon and comic books have been generated here.

Rather than being mere spinoffs, most of the ancillary projects are complementary, even integral, elements to the film. For example, the video game Enter The Matrix is believed to focus upon stars Jada Pinkett Smith and local actors Anthony Wong and Lachy Hulme. It alone is bigger than most Australian films.

A series of animated shorts, by some of Asia's most cuttingedge designers, for the internet and later a DVD titled Animatrix will possibly get a cinema release prior to May as mini "prequels" to The Matrix Reloaded.

Sydney has proved to be just the place to generate a film like The Matrix, which was given to the filmmakers with the strict instructions to produce "the best they could with a limited budget".

"It was a remarkable situation [in 1998] for us, in that the studio gave us an amount of money to make the picture but [told us] 'We don't want you to skimp though'," Silver says. "It was a great time -- there was great interest in the Australian tax system and the Government in general to help motionpicture production here," he says.

"Sydney is a city that's gone out quite deliberately, quite consciously, to secure itself a new industry," says NSW Premier Bob Carr. "We didn't have international movie making, certainly not on this scale, before 1997."

Fortunately, the 2000 Olympics prepared the city for major logistical inconveniences The Matrix has given Sydney. While Mission Impossible II was a nice postcard, The Matrix Reloaded and Revolution use Sydney's CBD as an intrinsic part of "the matrix".

"Sydney's getting a bit of a reputation for doing sophisticated and complex things," says the NSW Film and Television Office's Chief Executive Jane Smith.

The Matrix's current city shoot, shown on a computer simulation, passed through the Premier's Department Filming Roundtable with ease less than a month ago. The only hiccup has been the tension between the US producer and some departments that wanted a higher public profile for this month's filming.

The Roundtable, formed three years ago for such largescale film projects, included in this instance representatives of Sydney and North Sydney councils, the Police and Fire Departments, Road Traffic Authority, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Sydney Buses, State Rail Authority, Environmental Protection Authority, Film and Television Office and the Premier's Office.

While the fees might be sizeable, Smith contends "Sydney now has the capacity to do complex shoots with relative ease".

Exactly what this shoot will become won't be known until May or November next year when the sequels are released but precedent suggests something special.

The reclusive Wachowski brothers have already given cinema the famed "bullettime" technology in which hundreds of still images shot simultaneously are morphed into a 360 degree cinematic image.

They're believed to have also invented a threedimensional "blue screen" room for the upcoming films. This would allow characters to become more convincingly immersed in specialeffects environments.

"What the computer is letting us do is make movies in an environment where anything is possible," says Silver.

The Daily Telegraph reports: The $600 million film trilogy The Matrix will bid farewell to Sydney this month -- by landing a helicopter in Martin Place.

The mammoth production, which has brought at least $150 million revenue to Sydney, will shoot what its producer called "the most complicated sequence ever put on film" from Sunday.

Although it is believed most of the second film in the series, The Matrix Reloaded (released May 2003), is set mainly in a computer-generated environment, Sydney will feature more prominently in the third film, Revolutions, due for release in November 2003.

The complicated sequence, in which a helicopter with a mounted camera flies below building height through the city, takes place on the following four Sunday afternoons. The helicopter will be based in Martin Place tomorrow and will cut a path through Pitt, Bridge and George Sts, Darling Harbour and towards North Sydney from next Sunday.

Although there won't be any cameras, cast or extras on the ground, a number of city streets will be closed between 3.30pm and 6pm to vehicles and pedestrians. It is unlikely pedestrians will get close to the filming because of potential danger.

Joel Silver, producer for all three Matrix films, said: "We are thrilled with the co-operation and hospitality we have received from both the City of Sydney and the NSW State Government.

"It's terrific that Sydney is so supportive of film-making on this scale."

Reload and rewind ...

Back to the future ... the chopper shoot for the original Matrix.

For an hour late on Sunday afternoon, a helicopter will be swooping low through the centre of Sydney.

In the most public piece of filming since the two sequels to The Matrix arrived in the city, the helicopter will fly around Castlereagh Street and Martin Place at rooftop level.

But there will be no sign of Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving or any of the cast.

Three shoots from a helicopter over three consecutive Sundays are intended to give a "canyon-like perspective" of the city around dusk. The next two will involve low-level flights around Pitt, O'Connell, Hunter, George and Bridge streets.

After approval by the city's traffic committee, these streets will be a "sterile site" without cars or people during filming.

The footage will be part of what sounds like a spectacular climax to The Matrix: Reloaded. The film's producer, Joel Silver, has already described the 14 minutes as "the most complicated sequence ever put on film".

While there is bound to be public interest on Sunday, the film-makers

would prefer that crowds not come along. "There really isn't going to be very much to see," executive producer Grant Hill said.

The shoot would also be done slowly to minimise any risks. "We have the best people who are out there obviously ... you have to take all the normal safety precautions and have an eye to the conditions on the day," Mr Hill said.

He described filming as "relatively contained" compared to the helicopter sequences over the city for the original Matrix.

"This should just be part of living in Sydney now."

Castlereagh Street will be closed to traffic on Sunday between Hunter and King streets from 3.30pm until 7pm. The street will also be closed for filming - without the helicopter - from 9pm on Monday and Tuesday nights.

The long shoot for The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions is now about seven weeks from finishing. The sequels are due to reach cinemas in May and November next year.

The Scoop on the Matrix Sequels DVDs

'David' sent in this great news for fans - it sounds like you won't have to wait long after the release of The Matrix Reloaded (May 16, 2003) to see the first DVD set. This is probably because The Matrix Revolutions (November, 2003) opens the same year just months later...

I read an article that might be of some interest. In Aus. magazine 'WHAT DVD' July 2002 edition. It tells of the DVD release of The Matrix Reloaded only 3 months after its theatre release in a 3 disc set that "includes The Matrix & The Matrix: Reloaded, but will also offer along with the usual nifty extras, the first look at The Matrix:Revolutions...with the DVD release of that film scheduled for release shortly after." In another 3 disc set.

We'll be saving up for those!

New shooting dates and locations - World Exclusive! -- More World Exclusive news at TheMatrixOnline.com

Many thanks to a member of this site

The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions filming dates!

Received advice from Matrix 2 Productions Pty Ltd on the production of the two sequels to the Matrix movie and filming they are undertaking in Pitt, Hunter, Castlereagh, O'Connell, Bridge and George Streets (Sydney, NSW, Australia) during the coming weeks.

Some filming for the sequels to the Matrix movie were carried out on Sunday, 21 April 2002 and unfortunately they did not complete the night component as it rained so they are scheduled to return on Tuesday, 2 July 2002 to film between 2200 hours (10 pm) and 0200 hours (2am on Wednesday, 3 July 2002).

As before, Pitt, Hunter and O'Connell Streets will be closed to through traffic for this period. The closure is for through traffic only so that any vehicle or person that has a need to, will be able to access the address of their concern - but they may be asked to wait for a maximum of five minutes before proceeding.

Furthermore, on Sunday, 14 July 2002 the producers will return to film an aerial sequence with a helicopter hovering in the vicinity of the Pitt, Hunter, O'Connell intersection followed by a fly-though Bridge and George Streets. Due to safety reasons they again need to close Pitt, Hunter, O'Connell, Bridge and sections of George Street from 1630 hours to 1800 hours (4.30 pm to 6 pm) for this activity - however, this time the streets will be completely closed to all vehicles and pedestrians for the period.

In addition to the above, filming in Castlereagh Street will be undertaken on the 7th, 8th and 9th of July as follows:

Sunday, 7 July 2002

Castlereagh Street will be closed to traffic from Hunter Street to King Street from 1530 hours to 1800 hours (3.30 pm to 6 pm).

Monday, 8 July 2002

Castlereagh Street will be closed to through traffic from Hunter Street to King Street from 2100 to 0300 hours (9 pm to 3 am) on the morning of Tuesday, 9 July 2002. The closure is for through traffic only during this period so that any vehicle or person that has a need to, will be able to access the address of their concern - but they may be asked to wait for a maximum of five minutes. Local traffic would then be able to reach their destination.

Tuesday, 9 July 2002

Castlereagh Street will be closed to through traffic from King Street to Park Street from 2100 to 0300 hours (9 pm to 3 am) on the morning of Wednesday, 10 July 2002. The closure is for through traffic only during this period so that any vehicle or person that has a need to, will be able to access the address of their concern - but they may be asked to wait for a maximum of five minutes. Local traffic would then be able to reach their destination.

Matrix Productions Pty Ltd have the approval of the City of Sydney Council for the aforementioned

Will Smith turned down The Matrix

A funny anecdote came out the press junket for Men In Black 2. The Chicago Sun Times reports:

Smith and Jones both have suffered career disappointments. Smith mentions that he turned down the Keanu Reeves lead in "The Matrix" to do the flop "Wild Wild West." "I was like, 'Yeah right, 'The Matrix.' Computers have taken over the world. I think I'd better go off and do that good film 'Wild Wild West.' " Smith shakes his head.

Ironically, Smith's wife now has a role in the sequels. Visit the link above for much more.