History Trivia / TheMatrix

* InspirationForTheWork: Creator/TheWachowskis drew upon the philosophy of Jean Baudrillard (namely ''Simulacra and Simulation''), Hong Kong action cinema and {{anime}}. Legend has it that while pitching the project to Creator/WarnerBros, they showed ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' and said, "Basically, we wanna do this for real". Grant Morrison's Comicbook/TheInvisibles was an inspiration and crew members said that the Watchoskis carried volumes to serve as visual support. Curiously enough, the manga called Manga/{{Blame}} Had a very similar story and setting, that many hardcore cyberpunk fans noted, and many defenders of this film tried to pass off as mere coincidence at best and met with hostility at worst. The kicker? Blame! Is at least 3 years older than The Matrix, similar to ComicBook/TheInvisibles.

** Creator/SandraBullock turned down the role of Trinity because she couldn't see herself acting alongside the actor the studio intended to play Neo. (This was before Reeves, her co-star from the 1994 hit ''Film/{{Speed}}'', was cast.) She later regretted this decision. Music/JanetJackson was initially approached for the role of Trinity, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from accepting it. In an interview, she stated that turning down the role was difficult for her, so she later referenced the film in the "Intro" and "Outro" interludes on her tenth studio album ''Discipline''. Creator/MichelleYeoh was also considered for Trinity, as was Creator/GillianAnderson.
*** At the film's 20th anniversary, she revealed she was also offered ''Neo'', with the Wachowskis being willing to make the character female if it meant getting a big star.

* InspirationForTheWork: Creator/TheWachowskis drew upon the philosophy of Jean Baudrillard (namely ''Simulacra and Simulation''), Hong Kong action cinema and {{anime}}. Legend has it that while pitching the project to Creator/WarnerBros, they showed ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' and said, "Basically, we wanna do this for real". Grant Morrison's the Invisibles comic book was an inspiration and crew members said that the Watchoskis carried volumes to serve as visual support.

* InspirationForTheWork: Creator/TheWachowskis drew upon the philosophy of Jean Baudrillard (namely ''Simulacra and Simulation''), Hong Kong action cinema and {{anime}}. Legend has it that while pitching the project to Creator/WarnerBros, they showed ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' and said, "Basically, we wanna do this for real".

* RoleReprise: Actors who have been confirmed to return in the fourth film (which is due to come out 18 years after ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'') include Keanu Reeves (Neo), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Creator/JadaPinkett (Niobe), Creator/LambertWilson (the Merovingian) and Daniel Bernhardt (Agent Johnson).

Works in this series with their own Trivia pages:

* RoleReprise: Actors who have been confirmed to return in the fourth film include Keanu Reeves (Neo), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Creator/JadaPinkett (Niobe), Creator/LambertWilson (the Merovingian) and Daniel Bernhardt (Agent Johnson).

** The Wachowskis' first choice for Neo was Creator/JohnnyDepp, while Creator/WarnerBros wanted either Creator/BradPitt or Creator/ValKilmer. Creator/EwanMcGregor turned down the role of Neo, as he was filming ''Franchise/StarWars Episode I: Film/ThePhantomMenace''. Creator/DavidDuchovny turned down the role of Neo to make ''Film/TheXFilesFightTheFuture''. Creator/NicolasCage turned down the part of Neo because of family commitments. Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio turned it down, supposedly because he was concerned about the amount of special effects. Creator/TomCruise and Creator/LouDiamondPhillips were also considered

** Creator/JadaPinkett was offered the role of Trinity, but had to decline, as she was pregnant at the time. She would play Niboe in the sequels and ''VideoGame/EnterTheMatrix''.

--->"You know, ''The Matrix'' is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn't see it. I watched Keanu's performance -- and very rarely do I say this -- but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up ''The Matrix''."

* WordOfGod: The Wachowskis have stated that Cypher hacked into the Matrix on his own without the help of the ''Nebuchadnezzar'' crew. [[spoiler:This explains how he could have arranged a meeting with the Agents.]]

** In a 1996 draft of the script, there's a tenth member of Morpheus's crew named Cable, who's described as "a man with a big gun." [[Comicbook/Cable Hmmm, wonder where that idea came from...]]

** [[MemeticMutation What if I told you]] Morpheus never actually says “What if I told you…”? The origin of this meme stems from a simple jab at the film’s [[ItWasHisSled twist]], which featured a photo of Morpheus simply asking “What if I told you … The Matrix is all inside a computer?” Since then, people have just taken it from there.
** One of Agent Smith’s most famous quotations is often written as “But Mr. Anderson, how can you make a phone call when you cannot speak?” or something similar. The actual line is “Tell me, Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call if you’re unable … to speak?”

* DoingItForTheArt: While watching the “Lady in the Red Dress” scene, you might notice the same people are passing Neo and Morpheus more than once. Production goof? Nope! All the extras in the scene are ''actual twins''. The Wachowskis cast several sets of identical twins from UsefulNotes/{{Sydney}} as extras to create the impression that Mouse got so lazy while writing the Agent Training Program that [[YouAllLookFamiliar he made half the crowd, then copy-pasted the models and gave the copies new clothes]], instead of making unique ones. Did you notice that … or were you [[DistractedByTheSexy looking at the woman in the red dress?]]
* DyeingForYourArt: Rowan Witt’s (“Spoonboy”) mum was ''very'' reluctant to have his beautiful locks shaved off.

* EditedForSyndication: Basic cable cuts of the film frequently substitute “Shucks” or “Smokes” for “Shit,” and change Neo’s line in the interrogation room scene to “How about I give you a flipper?”, while completely cutting the actual [[FlippingTheBird middle finger]] (and, by consequence, the “You give me my phone call” part of the line). Also “Jeepers creepers (originally “Jesus Christ”), that thing’s ''real''?!”
** The Creator/{{AMC}} edit, in particular, changes a line in ''Reloaded'' to “I’ll bring that whole cockamamie (originally “goddamn”) building down.”

-->“You know, ''The Matrix'' is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn’t see it. I watched Keanu’s performance — and very rarely do I say this — but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up ''The Matrix''.”

** Creator/GaryOldman and Creator/SamuelLJackson were considered for Morpheus. Also, Creator/ChowYunFat was offered the role of Morpheus, but turned it down. Creator/RussellCrowe also turned down the role. He said: “I just didn’t get it. I couldn’t get past page forty-two. That world was just not interesting to me.”
** Creator/SandraBullock turned down the role of Trinity because she couldn’t see herself acting alongside the actor the studio intended to play Neo. (This was before Reeves, her co-star from the 1994 hit ''Film/{{Speed}}'', was cast.) She later regretted this decision. Music/JanetJackson was initially approached for the role of Trinity, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from accepting it. In an interview, she stated that turning down the role was difficult for her, so she later referenced the film in the “Intro” and “Outro” interludes on her tenth studio album ''Discipline''. Creator/MichelleYeoh was also considered for Trinity, as was Creator/GillianAnderson.

** Early drafts of the original film’s script contain a number of things that were arguably changed for the ''better''. One such detail is the climax having [[spoiler:Neo [[FlippingTheBird flipping off Smith]] after being revived, while Smith helplessly lets out a BigNo as Neo escapes.]]

** SupernaturallyValidatedTransPerson: Switch was originally planned to appear as a man in the real world, but a woman in the Matrix itself (to the point of being portrayed by two different actors in each), implying some sort of gender identity gulf and raising questions on what was their real form. The final film largely cut this subplot out in favour of an androgynous appearance (and there's a ShrugOfGod on whether it's still canon), but [[spoiler: their final words]] "No, not like this!" certainly harken back to it.
** The script and art book reveal that [[spoiler:Cypher’s]] betrayal was originally going to be [[VillainHasAPoint a lot more understandable and morally grey]]; Morpheus has been fruitlessly searching for TheChosenOne for years and Neo is actually the SIXTH person Morpheus has pegged as “the One”, making [[spoiler:Cypher’s]] resentment, doubt, and desire to return to the Matrix far more reasonable. This was also meant to [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadow]] the reveal in the second film that [[spoiler:the prophecy’s a lie, with the implication being that Morpheus kept getting it wrong because there was never a real “One” to find.]]

* CastTheRunnerUp: Anthony Brandon Wong auditioned for Tank in the first film. He would later play Ghost in the sequels and ''VideoGame/EnterTheMatrix''.

* RecycledSet: Sets from ''Film/DarkCity'' (1998), including rooftops, buildings and other exterior sets, were used in this film. The rooftops that Trinity runs across at the beginning of the film are the same ones that John Murdoch runs across in ''Dark City''.

* DevelopmentGag: A deleted subplot from ''Film/TheMatrix'' reveals that Morpheus has previously believed five other people to be The One, all of whom died after attempting to fight the Agents. In ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'', [[spoiler:the Architect explains that there have been five previous versions of the Matrix before the current one, each with its own version of the One, meaning that Neo again has five predecessors.]]

** The Wachowskis first choice for Neo was Brandon Lee, but Lee's death on the set of ''Film/TheCrow'' scuttled any plans to cast him. Their next choice for Neo was Creator/JohnnyDepp, while Creator/WarnerBros wanted either Creator/BradPitt or Creator/ValKilmer. Creator/EwanMcGregor turned down the role of Neo, as he was filming ''Franchise/StarWars Episode I: Film/ThePhantomMenace''. Creator/DavidDuchovny turned down the role of Neo to make ''Film/TheXFilesFightTheFuture''. Creator/NicolasCage turned down the part of Neo because of family commitments. Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio turned it down, supposedly because he was concerned about the amount of special effects. Creator/TomCruise and Creator/LouDiamondPhillips were also considered
** Creator/GaryOldman and Creator/SamuelLJackson were considered for Morpheus. Also, Creator/ChowYunFat was offered the role of Morpheus, but turned it down. Creator/RussellCrowe also turned down the role of Morpheus. He said: “I just didn’t get it. I couldn’t get past page forty-two. That world was just not interesting to me.”

** Creator/TheWachowskis wanted Creator/JohnnyDepp for Neo, while Creator/WarnerBros wanted either Creator/BradPitt or Creator/ValKilmer. Creator/EwanMcGregor turned down the role of Neo, as he was filming ''Franchise/StarWars Episode I: Film/ThePhantomMenace''. Creator/DavidDuchovny turned down the role of Neo to make ''Film/TheXFilesFightTheFuture''. Creator/NicolasCage turned down the part of Neo because of family commitments. Creator/TomCruise was also considered. Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio turned it down, supposedly because he was concerned about the amount of special effects. Creator/LouDiamondPhillips was also considered.

* DyeingForYourAr: Rowan Witt’s (“Spoonboy”) mum was ''very'' reluctant to have his beautiful locks shaved off.

* DyeingForYourArt[=/=]ImportantHaircut: Rowan Witt’s (“Spoonboy”) mum was ''very'' reluctant to have his beautiful locks shaved off.

* OlderThanTheyThink: In the novel ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}'', The Matrix is a name for {{cyberspace}}.

** Creator/TheWachowskis wanted Creator/JohnnyDepp for Neo, while Creator/WarnerBros wanted either Creator/BradPitt or Creator/ValKilmer. Creator/EwanMcGregor turned down the role of Neo, as he was filming ''Franchise/StarWars Episode I: Film/ThePhantomMenace''. Creator/DavidDuchovny turned down the role of Neo to make ''Film/TheXFilesFightTheFuture''. Creator/NicolasCage turned down the part of Neo because of family commitments. Creator/TomCruise was also considered. Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio turned it down, supposedly because he was concerned about the amount of special effects.

* KillerApp: ''The Matrix'' was this for the UsefulNotes/{{DVD}} format, being the first title to sell a million such copies.

** WipeThatSmileOffYourFace

** The “mental projection” of the Matrix would have been plot-relevant, with Switch (the butch blonde woman and only other woman in the crew besides Trinity) appearing female in the Matrix but [[{{Transgender}} male in the real world]]. This concept would have particularly interesting in light of [[RealitySubtext both the Wachowskis]] coming out as transgender women many years later.

* ActorAllusion:
** Creator/KeanuReeves starred in ''Film/JohnnyMnemonic'', as a character who could have a jack placed straight into the back of his head. It is also a film about telepresence.
*** Also not the first time he played a [[Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure savior]].
** Creator/JoePantoliano lying about a car accident in a movie directed by Creator/TheWachowskis … [[Film/Bound1996 why is that so familiar?]]

** The “mental projection” of the Matrix would have been plot-relevant, with Switch (the butch blonde woman and only other woman in the crew besides Trinity) appearing female in the Matrix but [[{{Transgender}} male in the real world]].