Kind Keanu:

Now we know he might already have a few buckaroos in the bank and is more than able to shout a couple of rounds down the pub, but now we know Keanu Reeves' heart is truly in the right place after he apparently sacrificed a massive $38 million to prevent the two new Matrix flicks being scrapped. Faced with a special effects budget to make the most gung-ho of producers cry, the studios began to worry that the box office wouldn't go quite far enough. According to reports, Keanu offered to sign away his cut to ensure the films got made. So now you know who to really thank come May time.

Monica Bellucci talks to Studio Mag

The only thing I can tell is the three main characters are still the ones played by Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne ; that I’m among the new characters who appear in the second movie and that I have a very small role in the third one. I got no action scene, well only one in fact, but one very special. Then I didn’t have to jump on walls, nor practice martial arts like Carrie-Anne Moss who executes some unbelievable technical valors! [...]

Actually the first thing I do when I arrive on the set is the rehearsals. I understand pretty quickly the Wachowski have a very definite idea of what they want! I meet Lambert Wilson who is absolutely lovely. I meet Keanu again. I’ve known him on Dracula (Coppola) when I started my carreer. I had only a small role in a sublime erotic scene ; I had to jump on a bed with some other girls and to kiss this handsome lad! And almost ten years later I have to make something very big with him – which I can’t spoil, but it’s not bad either! [...]

Then comes my first day of shooting. This won’t belong to the movie but to the video game which is meant to be released with the movie! The Wachowski are directing me... which is fun. Anyway, we shoot it like a movie. It’s cool because it allows me to enter this universe in a soft way. The next step is the real shooting. The place where it’s done is extremly well protected and... HUGE! A city! Some days I’m sure more than 2000 persons are working on these sequels. Amazing!

With the passing days, my character gets more precise. Even though the Wachowskis didn稚 tell me about her mythological nature, I have some books they brought at my disposal. [...] In a way she痴 prisoner because of her husband... It痴 obvious Persephonis is hugely inspired by this goddess. Caught between the Matrix and the real world. In the movie she痴 a woman who had a lot of lives. As soon as she touches someone, she can feel what he/she痴 feeling. She痴 like a predatory, a vampire of feelings. [...]

Most of my scenes are with Keanu, Carrie-Anne, Laurence and Lambert. Lambert is often with us. One day he had to tell a very long monologue in font of a lot of people, he showed himself so good that at the end of the take everyone applaused, charmed by this handsome French. [...]

The days I don't work, I sometimes go to see the preparation of the action scenes. I saw a mind-blowing one ・but I can稚 reveal anything! ・I long for seeing that on the big screen. [...]

The last scene I shoot before leaving Australia is the one we see on the only photo with me the studio released. I知 on the foreground, the others behind me are forced to wear sunglasses since we are in the Matrix. Lambert is facing me, we have a big dialogue together and what I say is going to trigger off a really big fight!!! [...]

I’ve still still not seen any images of the movie exept a few scenes I dubed in Los Angeles for 2-3 days. There I met Joel Silver for the first time. We致e talked about the way the movies will be released, the marketing stuff... He would love to make the world premiere at Cannes, for the Festival. It痴 apparently going well.・[...]

McDormand Will Star in Nicholson Pic

Thursday January 30 3:11 AM ET

Frances McDormand is set to star in the untitled Columbia Pictures comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers. She joins Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves and Amanda Peet.

McDormand will play the sister of Keaton, who takes up with the mature boyfriend (Nicholson) of her daughter (Peet) after he has a heart attack and convalesces at her Hamptons house. McDormand's character helps her choose between Nicholson's character and a young dashing doctor (Reeves).

Meyers has still not chosen a title for the comedy, but it will be the next acting job for McDormand. The Oscar winner ("Fargo") will next be seen starring in "Laurel Canyon," which Sony Pictures Classics opens on March 7.

Make vroom for Fishburne

By Stephen Schaefer, Special for USA TODAY

NEW YORK — Laurence Fishburne's ride into theaters Friday aboard Biker Boyz is the start of a sprint that will make him an inescapable big-screen presence all year.

Biker Boyz, a two-wheeled roundup of action and macho rivalry played out against the subculture of African-American cycling clubs, is the first of a Fishburne quartet that includes the two eagerly awaited Matrix sequels and Clint Eastwood's Boston-set Mystic River.

For Fishburne, who was a genial center of attention in BMW's Manhattan motorcycle showroom last week as he was given a black nylon racing jacket, stardom may have its perks, but it has been an uncomfortable fit.

"Things have changed for me," he says, referring to the career boost from playing the mysterious Morpheus in The Matrix.

"I've always thought of myself as an actor. I still think of myself as an actor, and I'm very comfortable with the way people respond to me when they, too, recognize I'm an actor. But I've got to understand, a lot of people think of me as a movie star — and that's different than being an actor.

"If you're walking down the street and a guy goes 'Morpheus!' they're a fan of The Matrix and not a Laurence Fishburne fan. If I'm walking down the street and someone goes 'Oh, my God!' that's someone who's recognized a movie star — and that's a little overwhelming for me. After 31 years as an actor, it still freaks me out. I'm trying to enjoy it a little."

Fishburne seems to be a different man these days. Gone is the sometimes prickly presence of yesteryear, who changed his billing from Larry to Laurence and woe to the person who referred to him as Larry.

At 41, Fishburne is mellowing, but he won't say exactly why. Could it be success, the maturity that comes with age, or marriage (his second) last September to actress Gina Torres (TV's Firefly)? "I'm married, happy in my life and enjoying my success and blah, blah, blah," he says with a laugh. "I think I'm easier, or I'm learning how to be easier, on myself."

As for Biker Boyz, which co-stars Antwone Fisher discovery Derek Luke, Kid Rock and Orlando Jones: "Right after I came back from Australia (where he filmed the Matrix sequels), I jumped in the saddle and went for it. The bikes helped me climb aboard. I've been a motorcycle enthusiast for seven or eight years, and the bikes were definitely the attraction. Then when Reggie (director Reggie Bythewood) said what his vision for the story was, I got very excited. I hadn't seen this movie before."

Though it's being sold as something like a two-wheel Fast and Furious, "it's not," Fishburne insists. "This is not Boyz on Wheels, either," says the star of 1991's Boyz N the Hood.

"This is a Western; its feeling and its flavor are straight out of a cowboy movie. Don't be fooled by the fact it's a biker movie.

"It's a Western couched inside this biker culture. Is this a black movie because most of the people in it are black? It's an American movie. It's got so much heart and so much soul. I can't say enough about it. I've got to say I really love this movie — and I'm not one to go on about movies I'm in, really. But if you've got to call it black, it's a black Western you never saw."

And if he doesn't quite ride off into the sunset, Fishburne did buy the Suzuki Hayabusa he rides in the movie. And his new bride rides with him: "Gina will grace my passenger seat," he says, which does sound like a courtly Gary Cooper.

'Matrix' reloads to go down the rabbit hole

By Stephen Schaefer, Special for USA TODAY

Mum is generally the word on any details of the top-secret Matrix movies.

What can Laurence Fishburne say about this year's two highly anticipated sequels to the 1999 special-effects trailblazer?

The Matrix Reloaded arrives in theaters May 15; Revolutions is due in November.

"I can tell we're going to see how deep the rabbit hole goes," he says, referring to the origin of the Matrix world. "And I can tell the you the technology is as ground-breaking as the first time around. I can tell you there's going to be two animated shorts released on the Internet in February that explain some of the origins of the Matrix.

"I'm as excited as anybody else is to see it, because I have not."

Headed by writing/directing brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski, filming in Sydney began in August 2001 for 10 months. But Fishburne had begun training with Keanu Reeves and other cast members in November 2000.

"It was a very long, very long time for the same character, very long to be away from home, to shave one's head every day. Most people don't remember I have hair.

"We lost people. We lost Aaliyah (who died in a plane crash), and Nona Gaye, Marvin Gaye's daughter, replaced her. Gloria Foster (who died of cancer), who is the Oracle, she's in Reloaded but not in Revolutions. So we lost our oldest, and we lost our youngest."

Did it feel as if the production had a Greek curse or something equally mythic?

"If you asked the Wachowskis, I'm sure they'd say it felt like a Greek thing. I don't know, man. I'm happy I'm a part of something that is cinematically historical. Again."

Grim Scary Tale

Is ''Final Destination 2'' TOO gory? Not if you ask director David Ellis, who is happy to give his audience exactly what it wants by Liane Bonin

Sure, most of the nubile teen cast met their maker in ''Final Destination,'' but that hasn't stopped New Line from creating a sequel to the horror film that put the fear back in flying. This time around, a group of strangers is stalked by death following a near miss traffic accident. EW.com talked to director David R. Ellis, 50, who recently worked on ''The Matrix Reloaded'' and ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' as a second unit helmer, about his gory sequel, Helen Hunt's cell phone, and why the Wachowski brothers are going to make bullet time look like greasy kid stuff with the ''Matrix'' sequels.

''Final Destination 2'' features a smorgasbord of gore: People get impaled, set on fire, and sliced into pieces like lunchmeat. Jeez, could you spare us nothing? It's sick. I look at it, and I go, God, that's just not right. But we decided that if we were going to do it, then do it. And that meant showing the gore instead of cutting away from it. We had no problems with the ratings board at all. Really, it's kind of sick that they'll let you show all that stuff.

How'd you shoot that scene where the guy is sliced into pieces by a flying barbed wire fence? It wasn't CGI, just green screen. We puppeted the body so his head and arms were the actual actor and then the rest of him was in a green suit, to make it invisible. So as he fell over, the rest of his body, which was actually made by a special effects house in Vancouver, stood there.

And you even slipped in a topless girl. Many a 17-year-old boy will thank you. And older boys, as well. That was totally gratuitous. New Line said, ''We've got to do that for the kids,'' and I said, ''Oh really? Okay, great.''

It seems that there have been fewer horror films in theaters since Sept. 11. Is it tougher to get these films produced now? I think people have to be more sensitive. Well, we weren't, but if you look at kids' video games, this film is nothing. The desire to see this type of media is still there. We knew who our audience was and tried to give them what they wanted. And so far, based on audience testing, people like this film a lot better than the first one.

Will there be a ''Final Destination 3''? If they can come up with a script that's clever and unique, then I'll do it. But not just to take advantage of the franchise and make money.

Your directorial debut was 1996's ''Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Francisco.'' Can we expect talking dogs or bloody corpses in your next movie? My next film, ''Cellular,'' is a thriller with Helen Hunt. A real actress, not dogs or people who've been cut in half! It's about a woman who's been kidnapped, beaten up, and thrown into this room by crooked cops. They're after a computer chip her husband designed, but she has no clue about it. So she manages to reconnect the wires in a broken cell phone just well enough to make one random call, which reaches a college kid. It's all about her trying to get him to save her life.

You were the second unit director on ''The Matrix Reloaded.'' What can you tell us about it? I shot part of the second act of the movie, which is a huge, 18 minute freeway chase sequence. It took three months to shoot just that portion of the film. When the first ''Matrix'' came out, all the great stuff that was cutting edge was duplicated in every movie you've seen since. But Andy and Larry Wachowski have raised their own bar this time around.

So, instead of wire work and bullet time being worked into every Gap commercial and soda spot, there's going to be some new special effect for directors to rip off? People will be able to study what the Wachowski's have done and figure it out. But they're going to have to have a lot of money to copy it. It was incredibly time consuming. We had to build our own freeway for that movie, to give you some idea of what was involved.

You were also the second unit director for ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.'' So which is harder, animals or kids? I love kids, I love dogs. We had 64 different dogs on ''Homeward Bound,'' and it's just patience, it really is. You can't go up to a dog and go, ''Hey, listen Buddy, you've got to get more into this scene.'' But I'd work with either kids or dogs again. I'm a slut. I love to work.

Brace Yourselves!

Brace Yourselves!
27/01/2003

Well, we told you they were going to be good. Unveiled amid the serious sporting hooplah that was the Superbowl on Sunday, the trailer for Ang Lee's Hulk and an updated glimpse at The Matrix Reloaded have finally arrived.

Weighing up against glimpses from fellow blockbuster rivals Daredevil and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the American audience were left in no doubt as to which two real heavyweghts stood out from the rest of the crowd.

No sooner had jaws proverbially dropped at the Hulk's nifty way of disposing with a truck than Neo and friends arrived to really excite the frenzied masses. Packing more eye-popping shots - including one of Agent Smith destroying a car with a mere touch of his fair foot - The Matrix Reloaded trailer must go down as one of Empire Online's all time favourites. Suffice to say any flicks intending to be released come May or November time should be very, very afraid.

So put that in-tray to one side, ignore that imminent meeting and click here for the monster in all his green glory and here for an astounding peek at what the Wachowski brothers have prepared for us. Trust us, your Monday mornings will be suddenly and infinitely bettered.

Matrix Sequels Sharpen Sound Effects Via Neumann's Solution-D

By Staff

Jan 27, 2003, 16:18 PST

Sound designer and editor Dane Davis needs little introduction. Acclaimed worldwide for his contributions to The Matrix, which won multiple awards for best sound and sound editing, Davis and the staff at his Danetracks facility have just begun working on the two sequels, Matrix: Reloaded and Matrix: Revolutions.

"We do an enormous amount of sound effects recording, not only real things in the field but also raw material recording," reveals Davis, who has amassed a library of almost 150,000 effects during the last 25 years. To assist him in the creation of the raw material from which he will sculpt the unique sound effects for the Matrix sequels, Davis has been using Neumann's Solution-D digital microphone system. The Neumann digital system, he says, outperforms even the best analog transducers.

"The Solution-D had a clarity about it that is a real breakthrough," says Davis. "There is a lot less other stuff going into the recording, in terms of thermal noise, electronic junk, and also just the usual problems that you have between a microphone and the A-to-D converters."

Danetracks recently put the Solution-D through its paces, using the mic system to capture metallic, crystalline and aqueous sounds for the library and the two forthcoming Matrix features. "Because we do a lot of extremes," Davis continues, "in a lot of ways the Solution-D is a dream come true. We record a lot of firearms and squealing vehicles, but also lots and lots of very quiet sounds. I'm used to making very, very low level sounds with my mouth and my body, and with various props, and it's very interesting to get to use a kind of microscope on it, which is what the Solution-D is."

The Ad Bowl: 89 Million Watch Super Sales Pitches

By Lisa de Moraes
Tuesday, January 28, 2003; Page C01

An average of nearly 89 million viewers stuck with Super Bowl XXXVII on Sunday -- the game's largest audience in five years -- even though the play was so one-sided, ABC bragged yesterday.

Yeah, right -- as if anyone still watches the Super Bowl for the football. Hello -- it's the ads.

Meanwhile, ABC's chick drama "Alias," which got the coveted post-Super Bowl time slot, may have copped its biggest audience ever -- 17.4 million viewers -- but that's the smallest audience for a post-Super Bowl show since at least the early '90s. Last year, Fox's broadcast of "Malcolm in the Middle" nabbed 21.5 million viewers; in 2001 the debut of "Survivor: Whatever" clocked a whopping 45.4 million.

Maybe that's because "Alias" had the latest start ever for a post-Super Bowl show: 11 p.m. Two years ago, CBS began its post-bowl "Survivor" broadcast at 10:17 p.m., as God intended. It was over a little after 11 -- right around the time "Alias" was just revving up this past Sunday.

It's not like the game ran long; play ended at 10:18 p.m. But ABC delayed "Alias" to run a Bon Jovi "concert" -- did you notice there was no one in the stands while Mr. Jovi was singing, and if Bon Jovi sings but only cheerleaders are listening, did Bon Jovi actually sing? -- and the traditional Post-Super Bowl Thick-Necked Guys Blatherathon.

Bad idea.

Sunday's game was the most watched since 1998, when a whopping 90 million watched Denver beat Green Bay, 31-24. Advertisers that year got quite a bargain. It cost them little more than $1 million to run a 30-second spot in that broadcast; this year they paid nearly twice as much to reach a million fewer viewers.

The good news for advertisers is that overall, the commercial breaks during Sunday's game drew more viewers than did the action on the field, according to TiVo, the digital video recording company.

That Reebok commercial featuring Office Linebacker Terry Tate, who'd been hired to tackle -- literally -- office slackoffs, was the most watched commercial in TiVo households that tuned in to the Super Bowl, the company reported.

Four Budweiser ads rounded out the Super Bowl's Commercial Top 5:

・The one where the guy is relieved when he meets his girlfriend's mom and she's hot, except then he discovers that she has a really big derriere and then he's sad.

・The one where the guy has three arms, which no doubt plays really funny on some alternate, guys-only planet.

・The one in which a bunch of Clydesdales are the football players and a zebra is the ref.

・The one in which a guy in an upside-down clown outfit goes into the bar to have a Budweiser, which he then appears to be pouring into his rectal orifice, which was actually where the guy's mouth was. You had to be there.

The much-touted Pepsi ad in which Ozzy Osbourne dreams his kids are Donny and Marie Osmond and then he wakes up and his wife is Florence Henderson only ranked No. 8.

TiVo analysis indicates that about 80 percent of the audience stayed with the broadcast even as Tampa Bay continued to widen its lead, and ABC stats tell a similar story. TiVo Senior Vice President Brodie Keast said the analysis makes painfully obvious that "even after the game was no longer competitive, viewers continue to stick with the broadcast, primarily to see the remaining commercials."

Will someone please send a copy of this TiVo report to Turner Broadcasting Systems Chairman and CEO Jamie Kellner? He's the guy who last summer warned TV critics that if TiVo and its competitors ever penetrate a substantial number of TV homes (as of last fall, TiVo had only 500,000 subscribers), free broadcast TV as we know it will be dead, because viewers will skip over all the commercials and then companies will quit advertising on TV shows.

According to TiVo, Dwight Smith's first interception return for a touchdown was the most viewed play of the game; viewership dropped to its lowest point during the blather that started halftime but revived when Gwen Stefani appeared with Sting.

ABC yesterday also bragged that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' drubbing of the Oakland Raiders reached an estimated 137.65 million viewers during its four-hour broadcast, making it the second most viewed Super Bowl in history.

That is a surfer stat, tallying how many people saw as little as six minutes of the game, rather than the average viewership, which is what goes in the record books. If you're a Budweiser executive you care passionately about this stat because it's assumed that anyone who watched just six minutes saw an ad break and so probably saw a Budweiser commercial.

ABC also noted that the game scored the highest ratings for young adults since ABC last carried the game in 2000. Among the game's younger viewers were more than 7 million 12-to-17-year-olds, who may have caught some of those ads for new flicks they can't see unless accompanied by an adult.

In the past, ABC parent Disney has promised that it would not air ads for R-rated movies before 9 p.m.

This year's Super Bowl coverage, which started at 6 p.m. if you include Celine Dion singing "God Bless America," the Dixie Chicks singing the national anthem, and the coin toss, included ads for upcoming flicks "The Life of David Gale" and "Tears of the Sun," both rated R, as well as "Daredevil," rated PG-13.

But mostly the ads were for flicks that had not yet been rated because they won't open for months or, in one case, nearly a year. Yes, it's a little odd to see a commercial for a movie that won't be out for a year, like the ad touting the next two "Matrix" sequels -- the second of which will be released in late 2003 -- but hey, a promise is a promise.

Among the Not Yet Rated movies hawked during Super Bowl XXXVII: the next "Terminator" movie ("T" and "T2" were both rated R, so it's a safe bet this one will be as well), those two "Matrix" flicks ("The Matrix" was R-rated) and the new "Charlie's Angels" movie (the first having been rated PG-13).

Also not yet rated but hawked nonetheless were "Anger Management," starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler, and the new "Hulk" film starring Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly.

- - -

Celebrity editor Tina Brown is getting her own TV specials, on CNBC.

The cable network says it plans to air four "Topic A With Tina Brown" shows a year. And if that's not enough, the first, debuting on Thursday, March 20, just days before the Academy Awards, will be about -- Hollywood!

"I am attracted to hosting a television show with CNBC that informally brings together some of the lively minds I have come across in my life as a print journalist," said Brown, who was, successively, editor in chief of Vanity Fair, the New Yorker and Talk and who now writes a column for the Times of London and Salon.com.

- - -

CBS is rushing a second round of "Star Search" onto the air during the February sweeps, and two more of its scripted series, the low-rated "Presidio Med" and "Queens Supreme," have bitten the dust, effective immediately.

The finale of "Star Search" is scheduled for Feb. 9. But CBS is loath to let go of a franchise that is doing great numbers, even opposite Fox's "American Idol." So a rush order is in and the second edition will debut on Feb. 19.

The next round of "Star Search" will air Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m

Keanu's Kind Gesture

January 27, 2003

Generous actor Keanu Reeves has sacrificed a massive $38 million to prevent the two new Matrix films being scrapped.

The Speed hunk gave up his claim to a cut of the films' ticket sales when producers began fearing the box office would not cover the costs of making the special effects-laden flicks.

The gesture is one of the most generous ever in Hollywood and has stunned studio bosses.

A Warner Brothers insider says, "The special effects in the new movie are beyond belief - but hugely expensive."

"There was a real danger the projects would be scrapped until Keanu offered to sign away his cut. He has kissed goodbye to a huge sum of money."

Keanu was paid $10 million for the first Matrix movie in 1999 and picked up a further $35 million as his cut of worldwide box office sales.

Nine Matrix short films kick off with Osiris

Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles 28 January 2003

The Final Flight Of The Osiris, Warner Bros and Village Roadshow Pictures' first in a series of nine short films envisioned by The Matrix directors Larry and Andy Wachowski, will accompany the worldwide theatrical release of Warner Bros' supernatural thriller Dreamcatcher on Mar 21. Like its counterparts in the nine-film set dubbed The Animatrix, The Final Flight Of The Osiris combines CG-animation and Japanese anime and is a companion piece to the Matrix trilogy, offering complementary storylines that explore history and characters.

"The Wachowski Brothers' vision for The Matrix is one that extends far beyond the theatrical trilogy, and the world they have created is so rich that we've chosen to tell these inter-connected Matrix-related stories in multiple mediums [sic]," Matrix producer Joel Silver said in a statement today (Jan 27). "The Animatrix takes fans beyond the boundaries of the movie screen and into the vast realm of The Matrix, introducing them to new characters and scenarios that further the trilogy's mythology and amplify their cinematic experience."

In The Final Flight Of The Osiris, which was written by the Wachowski Brothers and directed by Andy Jones, rebel warriors flee the Machine Army on board the hovercraft Osiris and attempt to send a warning to Zion, the last human city on Earth. Four other films from the series will be streamlined online from Feb 4 at www.theanimatrix.com. The entire set will be released on DVD and VHS on Jun 3, between the theatrical release of the second and third Matrix instalments. The Matrix Reloaded is due to open on May 15 and The Matrix Revolutions in November. In addition, a computer game called Enter The Matrix will be released on May 15.

Silver said the timing of the theatrical release of The Final Flight Of The Osiris meant it could be considered as "chapter 1.5 in the Matrix trilogy". "It's not crucial that fans see Final Flight or play Enter The Matrix to enjoy The Matrix Reloaded, but their movie-going experience will be immeasurably enhanced and they will gain a deeper understanding of the world of The Matrix."

Story still at the heart of 'Matrix'

Parts II and III aren't simply sequels, producer Joel Silver says.

BY RENE LYNCH
Los Angeles Times

HOLLYWOOD - Eye-popping special effects? Check. Computer-generated humans? Check. A story line that aims to appease the cultish fans of "The Matrix," who have been waiting four years to find out the fate of humanity ? Double-check.

Few sequels have been greeted with as much anticipation -- and as many high expectations -- as the final installments of "The Matrix" trilogy: "The Matrix Reloaded," which opens in May, followed by "The Matrix Revolutions" in November. The first movie sparked a revolution in moviemaking, delivering a mind-bending look at the future and stunning visuals. Its greatest strength, however, came from an emotionally gripping plot.

That's a tough act to follow.

But producer Joel Silver insists "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" aren't simply sequels offering contrived variations on the same theme. From the start, writers-directors-brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski envisioned a tale that unfolds in three parts like a superheroes comic book sprung to life. "The Matrix" served as the introduction to this world in which reality is turned inside out.

"The story continues to be everything. It's the driving force," Silver said in his office at Warner Bros., the studio releasing the films.

For "Matrix" newbies, the trilogy is set in a dark, dreary future run by machines that enslave humans in a dreamlike state to extract the energy produced by their bodies. An alienated computer hacker, Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is rescued from this captivity after an all-knowing oracle anoints him "The One" -- as in the one who unknowingly possesses the superhuman strength needed to save humanity.

At first, Neo is filled with self-doubt. Eventually, he comes to believe in himself.

Although some critics found fault with the film's plot and structure, the movie became a hit even among those who generally avoid sci-fi flicks. "The Matrix," which cost about $65 million to make, earned more than $458 million in theaters worldwide. Twenty-five million videos (VHS and DVDs) were sold. It also won four Academy Awards (editing, sound-effects editing, visual effects and sound).

The plots of "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" have been closely held secrets but take moviegoers into Zion -- the world's last remaining haven for humans -- and an epic showdown between Neo and the forces of evil, Silver said.

Like the first movie, the sequels continue to draw on a variety of sources, from Japanese anime to Eastern philosophy as well as kung fu films and the Bible, the kinds of concepts "Matrix" fans have relished dissecting and discussing. "All the ideas and concepts are there," Silver promised, "only better."

The same goes for the computer-generated images and special effects in "Reloaded" and "Revolutions," said John Gaeta, senior visual-effects supervisor.

"This will be the most sophisticated depiction of humans ever that are not real, they are computer-generated," Gaeta said.

That remains to be seen. But a few snippets of footage show astonishingly realistic images of Neo flying through the air and hint at the array of villains that Neo must combat to free humanity from increasingly sophisticated machine masters.

Neo's nemesis, Agent Smith, is back, played by Hugo Weaving. In the first movie he possesses the ability to transport himself across virtual time and space as he attempts to hunt down and kill Neo. By "Reloaded," Agent Smith's mutating powers have endowed him with the ability to replicate himself. In one of "Reloaded's" climactic scenes, Neo finds himself battling more than 100 Agent Smiths.

Battling virtual reality

Friday, January 24, 2003

By RENE LYNCH
Los Angeles Times

Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, and Keanu Reeves in 'Matrix Reloaded.' Eye-popping special effects? Check. Computer-generated humans? Check. A story line that aims to appease the cultish fans of "The Matrix," who have been waiting four years to find out the fate of humanity ? Double-check.

Few sequels have been greeted with as much anticipation - and as many high expectations - as the final installments of "The Matrix" trilogy: "The Matrix Reloaded," which opens in May, followed by "The Matrix Revolutions" in November. The first movie sparked a revolution in moviemaking, delivering a mind-bending look at the future and stunning visuals. Its greatest strength, however, came from an emotionally gripping plot.

That's a tough act to follow.

But producer Joel Silver insists "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" aren't simply sequels offering contrived variations on the same theme. From the start, writers-directors-brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski envisioned a tale that unfolds in three parts like a superheroes comic book sprung to life. "The Matrix" served as the introduction to this world in which reality is turned inside out.

"The story continues to be everything. It's the driving force," Silver said in his office at Warner Bros., the studio releasing the films.

For "Matrix" newbies, the trilogy is set in a dark, dreary future run by machines that enslave humans in a dreamlike state to extract the energy produced by their bodies. An alienated computer hacker, Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is rescued from this captivity by a rebel leader who is convinced Neo is "The One" - as in the one who unknowingly has the superhuman strength needed to save humanity.

Although some critics found fault with the film's plot and structure, the movie became a hit even among those who generally avoid sci-fi flicks. "The Matrix," which cost about $65 million to make, earned more than $458 million in theaters worldwide. Twenty-five million videos were sold. It also won four Academy Awards (editing, sound-effects editing, visual effects, and sound).

The plots of "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" have been closely held secrets but take moviegoers into Zion - the world's last remaining haven for humans - and an epic showdown between Neo and the forces of evil, Silver said.

Several characters will be back to help Neo, including his love interest, Trinity, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, and Morpheus, the rebel leader played by Laurence Fishburne, as they try to save the world. New arrivals include Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith), who is Morpheus' former lover and, like Morpheus, is captain of a rebel ship. Princeton scholar Cornel West has a role in both movies as a Zion elder.

Neo's nemesis, Agent Smith, is back, played by Hugo Weaving. In the first movie he possesses the ability to transport himself across virtual time and space as he attempts to hunt down and kill Neo. By "Reloaded," Agent Smith's mutating powers have endowed him with the ability to replicate himself. In one of "Reloaded's" climactic scenes, Neo finds himself battling more than 100 Agent Smiths.

"We wanted a chance to explore an event that was not possible to choreograph," said John Gaeta, senior visual-effects supervisor. The result, he said, is a sequence in which Weaving's and Reeves' characters are digitally rendered and brought to life - with moviegoers probably unable to tell the difference.

The Wachowskis also wanted something so sophisticated that it couldn't be easily ripped off, Silver said. After the release of "The Matrix," the groundbreaking techniques unveiled in that movie have since become old hat. Witness the 360-degree multicamera action shots that have shown up in everything from commercials to "Shrek" and "Charlie's Angels."

One of the most highly anticipated sequences in the trilogy's next installment - a freeway chase against the flow of traffic - could not be generated in a computer world. So the Wachowski brothers built a stretch of freeway on a retired naval base, at a cost of about $2.5 million.

The two new movies cost more than $300 million to make, sources said. The price tag would have ballooned were it not for the decision to shoot all at once in Australia, where Hollywood can buy more with less.

With "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" coming out in the same calendar year, the prolonged multimedia marketing campaign threatens to dominate moviegoers' collective consciousness. Newsweek has already dubbed 2003 the Year of the Matrix.

It kicks off next weekend when the first TV spot for "Reloaded" is slated to air during the Super Bowl. There are also nine animated shorts titled "The Animatrix"; a few will be available online and all will hit DVD in June. One will be coupled with the March release of Lawrence Kasdan's film "Dreamcatcher." "Enter the Matrix," a video game, will be released at the same time as "Reloaded."

Silver and the Wachowskis hope this will give "Matrix" junkies all they want and more - and still avoid the type of marketing overkill that could turn off casual fans and newcomers.

Q & A with 'Biker Boyz' star Laurence Fishburne

Six journalists sit alone in a room on the 22nd floor of a Madison Avenue office building. An hour later, Laurence Fishburne appears, sans his famous shades. The star of "The Matrix" and the upcoming "Biker Boyz" shakes hands and takes a seat. We, the reporters, pounce.

Question: You're a motorcycle aficionado. When you were making the film, what aspect of [urban biker] culture did you find surprising?

Laurence Fishburne: I was surprised at how diverse the clubs are -- These guys are from everywhere, just in terms of their cultural makeup. They're everything and everybody. I was also surprised to learn that there are, like, gay motorcycle clubs. There's so many different kinds.

Like the motorcycle club I belong to, all right, it's the Guggenheim Motorcycle Club. What's that? Billionaires and movie stars. So for me, that's what was surprising -- how the love of these machines cuts through all kinds of barriers.

Q: When I talked about this movie, [people called it] "The Fast and the Furious" with bicycles. I'd like to know if you agreed with that.

LF: No, no, I don't. Not "The Fast and the Furious" on two wheels -- This movie has, at its heart, a great story about a family. And it is the thing, I think, that gives the movie character, emotional weight, and emotional power that I didn't find evident in a movie like "The Fast and the Furious."

Q: So you worked with Kid Rock. What's it like working with someone for whom this is his first foray into acting?

LF: He's wonderful. He was a little nervous, but he was fine. Like we hung out. He played his guitar and we broke out the tamales, sat around, had a few beers like bikers do. It was cool.

Q: What's your overall opinion of this influx of rappers and musicians coming into a lot of films?

LF: I think all art is one -- I think that if anybody has the impulse and decides to express themselves in another medium, that that is something that should be encouraged and should be appreciated. Once upon a time you had people in our business who did a little bit of everything -- they sang, and they acted, and they danced. This is pretty much the same. If a guy or a gal wants to put down the mike and put on the mask, I can't be mad at that.

Q: Have you ever put down a bike?

LF: Oh, yeah.

Q: What was the first time?

LF: The first time I was on Ocean Avenue in Venice, California, and I was riding a Suzuki 11. It was nighttime, and it was the classic left-hand turn kind. A guy turned left on me, and I laid the bike down and let go of it. And I was armored up and everything. I got up and it was great -- and the bike was too heavy for me to pick up. Some old guy came across the street and looked at me and said, "You know, you're a damn good motorcyclist." I said, "No, but thank you very much, sir." And that was the first time.

Q: It's really embarrassing when you can't pick [up your own bike].

LF: You know what? I was fine with it -- My vanity is not in that place. I was totally alright with not being able to pick the bike up. And I was very pleased about laying it down and having an old guy go "Hey, sonny, you're quite a rider."

Q: Where do you think the attraction, particularly men's attraction, to bikes comes from?

LF: I don't know -- It could be the speed, it could be chrome, it could be the sound, could be the feeling. I'm not sure. All I know is that when the Guggenheim museum opened the "Art of the Motorcycle" show, all those years ago, the museum had the highest attendance it's ever had in its entire history.

Q: For yourself?

LF: For me? It's the spirit of the ride for me.

Q: With movies -- like "Barbershop," "Brown Sugar," "Drumline" -- that have been released in the last year, and now "Biker Boyz" -- they've all been movies that targeted black subculture, or different aspects of black life. What do you think of this trend, and do you think it'll continue?

LF: Oh yeah, it'll continue. There's a lot of stories that come out of black communities that will get told -- I think we all have an understanding that the responsibility for our condition lies with ourselves -- and I think that's important. And I think that's something that we've embraced to a certain extent, and I think it's because we've embraced that, we're making movies like this -- that are not about being angry at anybody else, that are really about revealing who we really are in it's full way and showing the full spectrum of who black folks in America really are. We're different, like everybody else. We're a very diverse group of people. And it's nice to be able to express it--

Q: Can you tell us anything about "The Matrix"?

LF: "The Matrix" is going to be unstoppably watchable. You're gonna get to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. The technology is going to be unlike anything you've ever seen before. They're going to release two animated shorts in February. Then you can go to a website and visit for free. I think they're called "Renaissance," and they deal with how the world we live in today got to be the world that it is. When "Dreamcatcher" comes out, there's a nine minute Animatrix attached to the end of "Dreamcatcher" called "Flight of the Osiris" that sets up the plot for "Matrix: Reloaded." And then, the same day as the movie, "Enter the Matrix" [the video game] comes out.

Q: You've received numerous accolades throughout your career, but since "The Matrix," your star power has reached a new height -- do you feel like you've become more of a star than an actor?

LF: It's really interesting because I've just realized that I've become a star. I've always known that I'm an actor. I've just really come around to the idea that I'm actually a star for some people, and that's not comfortable for me. But I'm trying to figure out how to deal with it. And we'll see.

Q: Tell me about when you look at a genre or a role -- how do you choose?

LF: I try to choose things intuitively. I pick the things that speak to me. You know, there's no science to it -- I did this thing for Clint Eastwood called "Mystic River" where basically I just play a detective named Whitey and I'm running around with Kevin Bacon. But I got to play with Bake, and I got to play with Sean Penn, and I got to play with Tim Robbins, and I got to play with Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden, and Eli Wallach. I don't know about you, but, see, for me, that's really doing something.

Over 60 more jobs go as Rage studios close

Rob Fahey 12:31 24/01/2003

Development staff laid off as legal complications prevent studio sales

The four studios which formed the development arm of Rage Plc have been shut by the company's receivers, resulting in the layoffs of all but 17 of the remaining staff at the company.

It had been hoped that sales of the studios would be arranged, with titles such as Lamborghini, Team SAS, Rolling and the follow-up to Rocky all in development. However, the receivers were unable to resolve legal issues surrounding the intellectual property being worked on within the time frame, and the studios now cannot be sold as a going concern.

The remaining staff at the company are working on selling the various titles and intellectual properties owned or licensed by Rage - leaving the fate of the games themselves, some of which are very near to completion, in an uncertain state.

"This is a highly regrettable situation," commented Hunter Kelly, speaking on behalf of the receivers who were appointed by the Bank of Scotland. "It is obviously extremely disappointing for all concerned that the legal risks could not be overcome sufficiently to achieve the sales of all or parts of the business as going concerns."

"Despite the considerable interest we received in the business and our continued efforts to progress this, we were faced with increasing complications posed by the number of licence holders and owners of intellectual property contained within the games, which made it illegal to hand over or give access to the information to interested parties."

"The complications were such that not only were they impossible to overcome within the necessary timescale to keep the business trading, but there was also no guarantee that these issues could actually be resolved to meet the terms of the offers being made, and there was the danger that the proposed sales would have resulted in a net loss to the company and its creditors."

This is effectively a worst case scenario for Rage - with no element of the business successfully sold off, the development studios shut down and nearly the entire staff laid off. The speed with which events have unfolded has been surprising to many; and whatever criticisms may be made of business or creative decisions made by Rage in past years, the ultimate result is that the games industry in the UK has lost a major employer.

2003 MOVIES Hollywood likes a sure thing

This year, films will be 'more of the same' in a sequel-packed lineup.
David Germain
The Associated Press

January 24, 2003

LOS ANGELES -- Sequels succeeded so well in 2002 that film studios have decided to do an encore.So 2003 shapes up as Year of the Sequel, Part 2. About two dozen followup movies, along with a few prequels, are on the lineup, some craved by audiences for a decade or more, others hitting theaters less than a year after their predecessors.

The four-year wait for a followup to the sci-fi smash "The Matrix" ends in a big way. In mid-May, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss continue their battle against Earth's machine conquerers in "The Matrix Reloaded," to be followed just six months later by "The Matrix Revolutions," the trilogy's end.

The "Matrix" sequels were shot simultaneously, like the three installments of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings."

There's only about 300 or so days of impatient pacing left till the final chapter of Jackson's treatment of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic arrives. "The Return of the King" opens just before Christmas, concluding the whirlwind release of all three films in a two-year span.

In contrast, it's been 12 years since Arnold Schwarzenegger's cyborg-from-the-future promised he'd be back. He finally returns over the Fourth of July in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

Given the success of 2002 franchises such as "The Lord of the Rings," "Star Wars," "Harry Potter," "Austin Powers" and "Men in Black," it's hard to knock the business sense in giving audiences more of the same.

"Studios want to make movies people want to see. It's all about getting butts in the seats," said John Singleton, director of "The Fast and the Furious 2." "People respond to characters they admire and love. If you've had a successful film with characters like that, why not make a followup?"

This year also brings some cross-breeding among movie series: There's the animated "The Rugrats Meet the Wild Thornberrys," and the slasher duel "Freddy Vs. Jason," matching the killers of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th."

On the prequel front are "Gods and Generals," with Robert Duvall in a forerunner to "Gettysburg"; "Exorcist: The Beginning," with Stellan Skarsgard as the priest of the horror smash in his first satanic encounter, in Africa; and "When Harold Met Lloyd: Dumb & Dumberer," set in the teen years of the idiot brothers of "Dumb and Dumber."

Adam Sandler offers a spring prelude to the busy summer season with "Anger Management," playing a peaceable man whose outburst on an airplane puts him under the care of a rage adviser (Jack Nicholson).

For Nicholson, "Anger Management" offered a slapstick respite from the dark humor of his current film, "About Schmidt," which is expected to earn him his latest Academy Awards nomination.

"I just went in the opposite direction, and I often do that. I just like to blow it out the other side," Nicholson said. "This one is antic comedy. That's everything I always get bad reviews for, but hopefully it's also what the public loves."

Monica Bellucci Talks About her Role

Time Out spoke to Monica Bellucci about her character in The Matrix sequels: "The Matrix" "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" , no. That's going to be crazy. I can't say so much, but I don't jump around like Carrie-Anne; I'm a fighter in a different way.

No Cypher For THE MATRIX: RELOADED

Actor Joe Pantoliano (THE SOPRANOS) talks about why he won't be returning as Cypher in the sequels to THE MATRIX.
Sci Fi Wire had the word:

Joe Pantoliano told SCI FI Wire that money wasn't the reason he won't reprise the role of Cypher in the upcoming sequel films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. "I wanted to come back," Pantoliano said in an interview. "You ain't kidding. The Wachowskis put a restraining order on me. It was never a money issue," he added, joking about directors Andy and Larry Wachowski.

Pantoliano added, "They never wanted me. I called them up and said, 'Listen, I'm going to make it sound like I turned down $6 million, because you don't want to pay me.' And they said, 'Hold out for $10 million, Joe. You're worth much more than that.' I love those guys. They're my favorite, favorite people in the world. It's not like I've been sitting around for two years waiting for them to make the sequels. In fact, they actually asked me to do a cameo in [Reloaded and Revolutions], but we couldn't work it out [because of scheduling conflicts]."

Pantoliano said that he's still eager to see the finished sequels. "I'm still so excited to see Reloaded and Revolutions," he said. "I think that group is so bright that everything you see after that is an imitation of what they invented. And I know the Wachowskis well enough to know they're probably going to invent themselves again [with the Matrix sequels]."

Another 'The Matrix Reloaded' Exclusive!

January 23, 2003

Forget everything you know and jack in to ET as we get the goods on 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions' from producer JOEL SILVER!

Tonight on ET, see our exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the amazing, climactic freeway chase in 'Reloaded'!

Our own BOB GOEN visited the top-secret 'Matrix' set in Australia to get the exclusive inside scoop for the "Year of the Matrix."

"It's not like two movies back-to-back, it's one movie that we're going to cut in half and show in two parts," says Silver about the two upcoming sequels to the 1999 box office blockbuster. Known as the action-adventure mega-producer in the '80s, '90s and into the millennium, Silver is responsible for such movie staples as the 'Lethal Weapon' series, the first two 'Die Hard' films, 'Commando,' 'Predator,' 'Conspiracy Theory' and more.

'The Matrix Reloaded' is due for release in May 2003. 'The Matrix Revolutions' will come out just months later in November 2003. Co-directors ANDY and LARRY WACHOWSKI, a.k.a. "The Boys," are keeping the sequel storylines under tight wraps, but we can tell you that KEANU REEVES, LAURENCE FISHBURNE, CARRIE-ANNE MOSS and HUGO WEAVING are all back for more. 'Malena' star MONICA BELLUCCI and JADA PINKETT-SMITH and other familiar faces have also joined the athletic cast.

Silver has nothing but praise for the Wachowski brothers. "They are so prepared and they so know what they want," he explains. "Usually on a set you have frantic-natured people running around trying to get things done. These sets are so calm. They're so precise. They know exactly what they want. There's a board up which shows every shot of the day, and they get those shots. It's a pleasure to watch them work."

This time around, the stunts and special effects in 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions' promise to be even more spectacular than the first go-around. At first flattered by other filmmakers' imitations of the first film's groundbreaking special-effects shots, the Wachowskis soon grew weary of the endless repetition.

"Commercials began to pick up [the visual effects and camera moves], and then 'Crouching Tiger' came out and 'Charlie's Angels' and [other] movies did the same thing," observes Silver. "There were parodies in 'Scary Movie' and even in 'Shrek.' Everywhere you turned there was something. The boys thought it was kind of flattering, but then they kind of got mad, so they said, 'We have to make sure that we do visual effects and action that can't ever be copied.' [The new movies are] going to be a whole new way of looking at entertainment."

So after 'The Matrix' sequels dominate 2003, will there be a 'Matrix 4'? "I don't know," admits Silver. "I know the story that the boys wanted to tell ends at the end of 'Revolutions.' I'm sure there is more of a story, but there are other things we're doing: a series of animated shorts [called] 'The Animatrix.' We're doing a video game and a wonderful website, www.thematrix.com. The boys wanted to tell the story in multiple mediums, and there's so much content."

Tonight on ET, catch more exclusive behind-the-scenes action from the sets of 'The Matrix' sequels!

Interview with Laurence Fishburne

I thought this film was very entertaining, refreshing, positive from just a black sub culture, and I was wondering, for you since you're a motorcyclist, what aspects of the culture were you surprised by?

Laurence: WOW! I was surprised at how diverse the clubs are, there are so many clubs, they're so many different clubs you know? Like the G-Zer Tribe for example, which is the club that had the most members that was involved with the movie. These guys are from everywhere, you know what I mean? Just in terms of their cultural make up, their everything and everybody. I was also surprised to learn that there is like a gay motorcycle clubs, there are so many different kinds. The motorcycle club I belong to "The Guggenheim Motorcycle Club" what's that? It's billionaires and movie stars, so that's what was surprising to me, is like how the love for these machines kind of cuts through all kinds of barriers.

So how does one get invited to join The Guggenheim Motorcycle Club?

Laurence: [Laughs] You got to talk to one of the Vice Presidents.

Are you one of the Vice Presidents?

Laurence: [Laughs] I'm one of the Vice Presidents, you got a billion dollars? No, all you got to do is have love for the motorcycle I think? I think that's it.

Do you believe this is like Fast and the Furious on 2 wheels?

Laurence: No I don't, this is not The Fast and the Furious on wheels [2 wheels], not at all. This movie has at it's heart, a story about a family, and it's the thing I think it gives the movie kind of emotional weight and emotional power that I didn't find evident in a movie like The Fast and the Furious.

Did you do most of your stunts for this film?

Laurence: For this movie? No

Was that your bike in the film?

Laurence: Now it is [Laughs], I have a bunch of bikes, 3 of them were picture bikes, the 916 from the film FLED, this one [1300CC Monster] from BIKER BOYZ and last summer I bought a replica of the "CAPTAIN AMERICA" bike from Easy Rider, cause….just cause.

Did you enjoy playing Smoke?

Laurence: Yeah, I think Smoke is really cool, I liked Smoke. I liked him a lot; I thought he was really funny.

What kind of guidance did you give co-star Derek Luke?

Laurence: I showed up, did my job, he was a little nervous at first but Derek is pure, man, Derek is pure light and presence you know what I mean? He is going to do things that none of us can dream of. I was just happy…doing something and playing with all those, I mean did you see how many people are in this movie? Tate's [Larenz] in this movie, Kadeem [Hardison] is in this movie, Lisa Bonet is in this movie, Djimon Hounsou, Eriq La Salle, Kid Rock. Kid Rock comes off.

How much fun was it off camera?

Laurence: It was great man; it was like a big cook out, like a big barbecue. Like with Kid Rock, we hung out, he played his guitar, he broke out the tamales and we sat around, had a few beers like bikers do, it was cool.

Speaking of Kid Rock, what's your overall opinion of rappers and musicians coming over to do films?

Laurence: I think that all art is one, and all art stems for the same source. I think that if anybody has the impulse inside them to try to express themselves in other medium, that's something that should be encouraged and something that should be appreciated. I mean once upon a time you had people in our business who did a little bit of everything. They sang and they acted and they danced, and this is pretty much the same. If a guy or gal wants to put down the mic and put on the mask, I can't be mad at that.

With movies like Barbershop, Brown Sugar, Drumline and now Biker Boyz. They have all been movies targeted at Black sub cultures, why do you think this trend is and do you think this is going to continue?

Laurence: Oh yeah it will continue. I mean there's a lot stories to be told, there's a lot of stories that come out of the black community that will get told. If not now, later. There are just a lot of stories and I think people are becoming more and more interested and more comfortable with those stories. Because once upon a time the stories that came out of black communities were all about angry and rage and pointing the finger at somebody else for our own misfortunes, and I think more and more with movies like this it's not about any of that, it's really about what's going on inside of our own world.

Did you ever teach anybody else how to ride?

Laurence: Yes, my son

Can talk about the Matrix Reloaded?

Laurence: What do you want to know? Sorry I can't talk about that [Laughs]

You play a president of a motorcycle club and you play in some why a president or Captain in the character Morpheus for the Matrix films, is there any comparison?

Laurence: [Laughs] No, I wouldn't make any comparison to the two characters, they are completely different. [Talks like his character Morpheus] One lives in the real world and the other one doesn't, then one lives in the real world.

There are some cool race scenes in Biker Boyz; can you talk about the so-called famous freeway scene in THE MATRIX RELOADED?

Laurence: Ah, the freeway chase, The Matrix is going to be unstoppably watchable, you're gonna get to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, the technology is gonna be unlike anything you have ever seen before. They are going to release two animated shorts [Animatrix] in February, that you go to the website and visit for free and see them. I'm trying to remember to the title for the first two, I think its called "Renaissance" and they deal with how the world that we live in today got to be the world of the Matrix. And then when DREAMCATCHER comes out, there is a nine-minute Animatrix attached to the end of DREAMCATCHER, called "Flight of the Osiris" that sets up the plot for the Matrix Reloaded. Then the day the movie [Matrix Reloaded] comes out "Enter the Matrix", which is the video game, comes out as well, and it's in all platforms Xbox, PS2, etc, etc…

Fishburne Reloaded Morpheus

9:00am ET, 21-January-03

Fishburne Reloaded Morpheus

Laurence Fishburne, who reprises the role of Morpheus in the upcoming two Matrix sequels, told SCI FI Wire that the two movies won't be like other sequels. "It's not like a regular sequel," Fishburne said in an interview. "These things are huge, and there's more characters [and] more people."

Fishburne added that he appreciated the chance to play an ambiguous character. "My overall experience was that it was wonderful," he said. "I'm eternally grateful to be a part of The Matrix. It's this huge juggernaut of a thing. It's the Star Wars of its time. I get to be Obi-Wan and f-cking Darth Vader all at the same time. When you meet Morpheus, I don't know about you, but when I saw Morpheus in the movie, I wasn't taking no f-cking red-pill, blue-pill sh-t. I wasn't drinking the water. I was like, 'DON'T TRUST HIM!' He's not all good; he's not all bad. He's not like the white knight or the black knight. He's a combination, and therefore he is a real being."

The first sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, opens May 15. The next film, The Matrix Revolutions, opens Nov. 7.

Big film stars bring style to TV movies they believe in

By HAL BOEDEKER
The Orlando Sentinel

Diane Keaton longed to play an impoverished woman. Susan Sarandon savored portraying a villain. Maggie Smith seized her biggest movie role in years. Jessica Lange enjoyed being in a throwback to her favorite films.

The four Academy Award winners will give the small screen -- and the oft-maligned television movie -- dashes of style and prestige in the next few months. The actresses promoted their projects to TV critics on the winter tour, and their presence seems an encouraging trend: A medium that usually obsesses over the young will welcome four veterans who sit outside the preferred 18-to-49 demographic.

Keaton, 57, says that when she won the Oscar for "Annie Hall" in the 1970s, she never considered doing television. But Lifetime let her direct the 1991 movie "Wildflower," which launched her career as a big-screen director.

So she is returning to the cable channel to star in the true story "Breaking Through" as a mother who deals drugs to make quick money in an emergency and later works undercover for the FBI. The woman is now in a witness-protection program; the film will premiere in the first half of the year.

"I've always been a great fan of `Grapes of Wrath,' " Keaton says. "I always in my life secretly wished that somehow, somebody would once cast me in a Sally Field-type project. And I never got it."

The "Breaking Through" script "just killed me," she says in her exuberant way. "I wanted to do it, and you know what? Nobody else is interested in me doing a part like this."

Keaton also serves as an executive producer on the film, and that had its advantages. In the original script, the mother became a crack addict. Keaton suggested it would be more plausible for her to play a crystal meth addict.

"We got to change things based on me," she says. "They have to listen to you."

She prefers the faster pace of television production to the dawdling one of big-screen movies. "I don't want to sit around in the trailer waiting," she says. "I'm a sprinter. It's, like, get me out of the gate. Get me going in the morning. I'm good in the morning. I'm really bad late. I like to go. And so I love television."

Sarandon, 56, plays Princess Wensicia, a conniving mother, in "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune." The six-hour miniseries premieres March 16 on Sci Fi Channel.

"It was kind of like being in `Snow White,' " she says. "I felt like the evil witch. It's always more fun to play a villain. You don't have the burden of sincerity."

It's also easier being bad, Sarandon says, and she uses her Oscar-winning role as a nun in "Dead Man Walking" to illustrate the point. "Playing Sister Helen, where you're just basically going around saying, `I'm so sorry and let us pray,' that's really tough," she says.

Sarandon has more TV projects in the works. She will play the physician at the South Pole who learned she had breast cancer and treated herself. A&E is preparing for Sarandon a Bette Davis drama by Alfred Uhry ("Driving Miss Daisy"). Sarandon finds real benefits to TV movies.

"They don't have as many car chases or whatever; can't really," she says. "I think you can reach a lot of people when you've got something that's harder to sell as a film. There are lots of movies that get made that can't find distribution with stars in them. So, I'm not afraid of doing television."

Dame Maggie Smith, 68, says her central role in HBO's "My House in Umbria" is a switch from her usual cameos these days. She's in nearly every frame.

In the movie, premiering in May, she plays an eccentric romance author who survives a terrorist attack and invites three other victims to her Italian villa. Big-screen producers rarely offer the main role anymore to the two-time Oscar winner for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and "California Suite."

"In this film, I am completely involved," she says. "It makes a huge difference instead of drifting on to a film set and doing a few days, which is horrid. You never feel quite a part of it."

She likes the hopeful message of the film based on a William Trevor novel and directed by Richard Loncraine ("The Gathering Storm"). Her character has "been through a lot in life and comes out triumphant in the end," she says. "It has to do with hope."

The warm, generous character gives Smith a chance to stretch beyond the haughty types she often portrays, such as in "Gosford Park."

"I suppose I do play those sorts of parts, the snobs," she says. "I suppose also I'm usually in costume dramas, so (not doing one) is also refreshing too."

Two-time Oscar winner Lange, 53, has a challenging role in HBO's "Normal," which premieres in March. She plays a rural Illinois wife of 25 years who learns that her husband (Tom Wilkinson of "In the Bedroom") wants a sex-change operation.

"It is a character study in-depth, and I don't think stories like that are all that common anymore," she says. "It was like a throwback to films that we saw a lot of in the '70s and '80s, which were always my favorite films anyhow, where you really had two hours to deeply investigate a character that's on some kind of emotional journey."

Lange also liked the unique situation in the film, based on Jane Anderson's play "Looking for Normal." Anderson wrote and directed the film.

"For me, as an actor, always the most interesting thing is: Am I going to kind of plumb new territory?" she says. "That's why I decided to do it."

This is only the third television work for Lange, who won Academy Awards for "Tootsie" and "Blue Sky." She is preparing for another big-screen movie, Tim Burton's "Big Fish," in Alabama.

Keaton is also starting a big-screen film, a romantic comedy with Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves. "I can't believe I got the job," Keaton says, calling the development "shocking."

That choice assignment can't compare to some dramatic opportunities in "Breaking Through," which lets Keaton go after a drug dealer with a gun.

"I've never had so much fun with a gun," Keaton says. "It was just chasing somebody and (saying) "touch my kids ever again, I'll hunt you down and I'll kill you.' That's really, really like something that I never get. So I loved it."

MATRIX' ambitious scheme

Dateline: Monday, January 20, 2003

By: MIKE WHYBARK
By: News Editor
Source: Variety

VARIETY picks up the MATRIX story with a look at the ambitious film release plan for THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS and THE MATRIX RELOADED. Facts highlighted in the story include the 294 day shoot and the $300 million budget. Video games and animated shorts will see release in support of the first film in May.
The film's producer, Joel Silver, says, "I've been doing this for 20 years and I've never seen anything like this. I've never been involved with a piece of entertainment that everyone wants a piece of. You dream of having a picture like this to mean something to people. People are so anxious to see it."

The Hot Button (US) - January 17,

The Hot Button (US) - January 17, 2003 by David Poland

It’s one of those national holidays that’s only kind of a national holiday… For a moment, it seemed like there would be an early national holiday when I got word that there was going to be a junket for The Matrix Reloaded this week. And indeed, there was. Keanu, Larry, Carrie-Anne, Jada and Joel were all on hand at The Avalon this Tuesday when about 30 journalists from a half-dozen countries came to town for a sit down. But, amazingly, the journos weren’t even shown the 20-minute reel that caused Newsweek Magazine’s Devin Gordon to wet himself earlier this month. Worse, none of the talent would discuss any details about the film. But Jada did say that Will saw the 20 minute reel and admitted that he was wrong to have passed on the project back when he was offered it. In fact, she described him as “rolling on the floor” when he saw the clips.

Animatrix in theatres March 21st

posted on 2003-01-18 16:33:39

"Final Flight of the Osiris," a part of "Animatrix"," to accompany "Dreamcatcher" theatrical release on March 21.A recent press release announcing the theatrical release of Castle Rock Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures' supernatural thriller "Dreamcatcher," also announced that "Final Flight of the Osiris," will accompany it to theatres. "Final Flight of the Osiris" is a prelude to the upcoming second movie "Matrix Reloaded."

Billed as a "fusion of CG-animation and Japanese anime" "Final Flight" is one of the nine animated shorts that make up Animatrix. However, unlike the other episodes, which were directed by Anime notables such as Shinichiro Watanabe and Yoshiaki Kawajiri, "Final Flight" was directed by Andy Jones, written by the Warchowski brothers (the creators of the Matrix) and animated at Square USA.

Excertpts from Press Release:

When "Dreamcatcher" makes its domestic theatrical debut on March 21, it will be accompanied by "Final Flight of the Osiris," a groundbreaking short film conceived by the creators of "The Matrix" trilogy. Inspired by the visionary action and innovative storytelling that power "The Matrix," this fusion of CG-animation and Japanese anime serves as an explosive prelude to "The Matrix Reloaded."

Enter the Matrix

By Staff, Official US Playstation Magazine
Screen Shots: Enter The Matrix

News that Shiny had hooked up with the Wachowski brothers to produce games based on The Matrix leaked ages ago, but things have been kept extremely quiet since then. With only five months to go before The Matrix Reloaded hits theaters, Shiny is finally spilling the beans on its first game, which we've been assured we'll see the same weekend the movie hits. So what's the deal? Don't expect a game that follows the movie's plot. Apparently, the Wachowskis wrote an entirely new story for the game that runs concurrently with Reloaded and actually gives gamers an insight into how some scenes in the movie are set up. Playing as either Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith's part in the flick) or the mysterious character known as Ghost, you get to explore many of the locales that you'll see in theaters this May. But you'll get to see them at a different time and in different states of disrepair. In terms of gameplay, early indications point to something along the lines of Max Payne with added kung fu. From what we've seen, there will be plenty of Metal Gear Solid-like peeping around corners and shooting to look forward to, as well.

'Dreamcatcher' and Pieces of Next 'Matrix' Films to Sneak at ShoWest

Fri, Jan 17, 2003, 02:01 PM PT

BURBANK, Calif. (Zap2it.com) ・Castle Rock Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures・supernatural thriller "Dreamcatcher," now scheduled to open nationwide on March 21, will be unveiled as the closing day screening at the annual ShoWest Convention in Las Vegas on Thursday, (March 6).

At the gala event, Dreamcatcher will be introduced by the film痴 Academy Award-nominated producer-writer-director Lawrence Kasdan ("Body Heat," "The Big Chill," "Silverado," "Grand Canyon," "French Kiss"), it was announced today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

"We're thrilled that we're been asked to present Dreamcatcher as the closing film at the ShoWest Convention this year," Fellman said. "We're especially pleased that Lawrence Kasdan will be on hand to introduce the film and meet many of our exhibitor partners at this very special event."

The Dreamcatcher ShoWest screening will take place at the Theatre of the Arts in the Paris Hotel at 2:30 p.m. on March 6.

In "Dreamcatcher," based on Stephen King's best-selling novel, four young friends perform a heroic act and are changed forever by the uncanny powers they gain in return. Years later, on a hunting trip in the Maine woods, they are overtaken by a blizzard, a vicious storm in which something much more ominous moves. Challenged to stop a deadly alien force, they confront an unparalleled horror, with the fate of the world in the balance.

"Dreamcatcher" stars Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Sizemore and Donnie Wahlberg. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and Academy Award-winning writer William Goldman ("Misery," "All the President痴 Men," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid").

When "Dreamcatcher" makes its domestic theatrical debut on March 21, it will be accompanied by "Final Flight of the Osiris," a groundbreaking short film conceived by the creators of "The Matrix" trilogy. Inspired by the visionary action and innovative storytelling that power "The Matrix," this fusion of CG-animation and Japanese anime serves as an explosive prelude to "The Matrix Reloaded."

Castle Rock Entertainment presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, a Kasdan Pictures production, "Dreamcatcher," directed by Lawrence Kasdan. The screenplay is by William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan, based on the book by Stephen King. The film is produced by Lawrence Kasdan and Charles Okun. Bruce Berman is the executive producer.

"Dreamcatcher" will be distributed worldwide in 2003 by Warner Bros. Pictures, an AOL Time Warner Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. This film is not yet rated.

Dark world, high hopes

The first 'Matrix' sequel hits in May, the second in November. Will the one-two punch work?

By Rene Lynch, Times Staff Writer

Eye-popping special effects? Check. Computer-generated humans? Check. A story line that aims to appease the cultish fans of "The Matrix," who have been waiting four years to find out the fate of the human race? Double-check.

Few sequels have been greeted with as much anticipation -- and as many high expectations -- as the final installments of "The Matrix" trilogy: "The Matrix Reloaded," which opens in May, followed by "The Matrix Revolutions" in November. The first movie sparked a revolution in movie-making, delivering a mind-bending look at the future and stunning visuals. Its greatest strength, however, came from an emotionally gripping plot.

That's a tough act to follow.

But producer Joel Silver insists "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" aren't simply sequels offering contrived variations on the same theme. From the start, writers-directors-brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski envisioned a tale that unfolds in three parts like a superheroes comic book sprung to life. "The Matrix" served as the introduction to this world in which reality is turned inside out.

"The story continues to be everything. It's the driving force," Silver said in his office at Warner Bros., the studio releasing the films.

For "Matrix" newbies, the trilogy is set in a dark, dreary future run by machines that enslave humans in a dreamlike state to extract the energy produced by their bodies. An alienated computer hacker, Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is rescued from this captivity after an all-knowing oracle anoints him "The One" -- as in the one who unknowingly possesses the superhuman strength needed to save the human race.

At first, Neo is filled with self-doubt. Eventually, he comes to believe in himself.

Although some critics found fault with the film's plot and structure, the movie became a hit even among those who generally avoid sci-fi flicks. "The Matrix," which cost about $65 million to make, earned more than $458 million in theaters worldwide. Twenty-five million videos (VHS and DVDs) were sold. It also won four Academy Awards (editing, sound-effects editing, visual effects and sound).

The plots of "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" have been closely held secrets but take moviegoers into Zion -- the world's last remaining haven for humans -- and an epic showdown between Neo and the forces of evil, Silver said.

Several characters will be back to help Neo, including his love interest, Trinity, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, and Morpheus, the rebel leader played by Laurence Fishburne, as they try to save the world. New arrivals include Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith), who is Morpheus' former lover and, like Morpheus, is captain of a rebel ship. Princeton scholar Cornel West has a role in both movies as a Zion elder.

Like the first movie, the sequels continue to draw on a variety of sources, from Japanese animé to Eastern philosophy as well as kung-fu films and the Bible, the kinds of concepts "Matrix" fans have relished dissecting and discussing. "All the ideas and concepts are there," Silver promised, "only better."

The same goes for the computer-generated images and special effects in "Reloaded" and "Revolutions," said John Gaeta, senior visual effects supervisor.

"This will be the most sophisticated depiction of humans ever ... that are not real, they are computer-generated," Gaeta said.

That remains to be seen. But a few snippets of footage show astonishingly realistic images of Neo flying through the air and hint at the array of villains that Neo must combat to free the human race from its increasingly sophisticated machine masters.

Neo's nemesis, Agent Smith, is back, played by Hugo Weaving. In the first movie he possesses the ability to transport himself across virtual time and space as he attempts to hunt down and kill Neo. By "Reloaded," Agent Smith's mutating powers have endowed him with the ability to replicate himself. In one of "Reloaded's" climactic scenes, Neo finds himself battling more than 100 Agent Smiths.

"We wanted a chance to explore an event that was not possible to choreograph," Gaeta said. The result, he said, is a sequence in which Weaving's and Reeves' characters are digitally rendered and brought to life -- with moviegoers probably unable to tell the difference. Or so the filmmakers hope.

The Wachowskis also wanted something so sophisticated that it couldn't be easily ripped off, Silver said. After the release of "The Matrix," the groundbreaking techniques unveiled in that movie have since become old hat. Witness the 360-degree multi-camera action shots that have shown up in everything from commercials to "Shrek" to "Charlie's Angels."

There will also be plenty of special effects, including the virtual land of Zion and the world of the machines, fantastic creatures who do battle, and acts of superhuman strength, Gaeta said.

Interestingly enough, one of the most highly anticipated sequences in the trilogy's next installment -- a freeway chase against the flow of traffic -- could not be generated in a computer world, at least not yet.

So the Wachowski brothers built a stretch of freeway on a retired naval base in Alameda, at a cost of about $2.5 million.

The two new movies cost more than $300 million to make, sources said. The price tag would have ballooned were it not for the decision to shoot all at once in Australia, where Hollywood can buy more with less because of the cheap Australian dollar. The team started in March 2001 with the most technologically challenging scenes -- Neo versus Agent Smith, the freeway chase -- to give the six special-effects houses the maximum amount of time to perfect more than 2,000 shots.

Fulfillment versus overdoing it

Shooting more than one sequel at a time isn't new -- all three installments of the "Lord of the Rings" films were shot at once, and the two "Back to the Future" sequels, also shot consecutively, were released six months apart, in November 1989 and May 1990. But with "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" coming out in the same calendar year, the prolonged multimedia marketing campaign threatens to dominate moviegoers' collective consciousness. Newsweek has already dubbed 2003 the Year of the Matrix.

It kicks off next weekend when the first TV spot for "Reloaded" is slated to air during the Super Bowl. There are also nine animated shorts titled "The Animatrix"; a few will be available online and all will hit DVD in June. One will be coupled with the March release of Lawrence Kasdan's film "Dreamcatcher." "Enter the Matrix," a video game, will be released at the same time as "Reloaded."

Combined, they sketch a "Matrix" back story, including details about the machines' rise to power and enslavement of humans.

Coming soon everywhere, too, will be a tricked-out Samsung mobile phone just like the one Neo & Co. will use.

Silver and the Wachowskis hope this will give "Matrix" junkies all they want and more -- and still avoid the type of marketing overkill that could turn off more casual fans and newcomers.

That may be difficult if "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" approach the pop-cultural phenomenon that "The Matrix" did after its 1999 release; it spawned Internet fan sites and influenced fashion, music and movie-making.

"It's a concern," Silver conceded. "There is such a thing as too much."

'Dreamcatcher' will wrap ShoWest

Hollywood Reporter reported the following

Jan. 17, 2003

Warner Bros. Pictures will unveil "Dreamcatcher," a supernatural thriller directed by Lawrence Kasdan, as the closing-day film March 6 at the annual ShoWest exhibitors' convention in Las Vegas. "We're especially pleased that Lawrence Kasdan will be on hand to introduce the film and meet many of our exhibitor partners at this very special event," Warners president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said. "Dreamcatcher," from Castle Rock Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures, is based on Stephen King's novel about four young friends who perform a heroic act and are changed forever by the uncanny powers they gain in return. It stars Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Sizemore and Donnie Wahlberg. The screenplay is by Kasdan and William Goldman. In a related announcement, Warners said that when "Dreamcatcher" is released March 21, it will be accompanied by the short film "Final Flight of Osiris," conceived by the creators of "The Matrix" trilogy. A fusion of CG-animation and Japanese anime, it will serve as a prelude to "The Matrix Reloaded," which opens May 15. (Gregg Kilday)

Super Bowl will Premiere New Reloaded Teaser

“The Matrix: Reloaded” (Warner Bros.): Studio sources have confirmed to FilmJerk.com that a 30-second teaser for the next installment of “The Matrix” franchise will premiere at this year’s Super Bowl. When the original teaser debuted at the 1999 event, it was heralded as the break-out winner among the films competing—no one had heard of it before that time. Look for the teaser here to ratchet up awareness as well, and stroke a fervent fanbase.
Thanks Matrix fans net and Countingdown.com