It's typical isn't it? You've been waiting since the end of the last millennium for a sequel to "The Matrix", and then two turn up at the same time.
That's right, the Wachowski Brothers were so impressed with how well their cyberpunk, kung fu fighting, virtual reality spectacular was received (grossing a spectacular $459 million worldwide), they're about to unleash two sequels.
Taking their cue from Peter Jackson's decision to shoot "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy back-to-back, the Wachowski Brothers filmed both "Matrix" sequels simultaneously. They are generously preparing to release them just a few months apart.
First up is "The Matrix Reloaded" (currently scheduled for 23rd May), closely followed by "The Matrix Revolutions" (pencilled in for 7th November).
Two definitely seems to be the magic number, and the double trouble has even affected the script. There are a pair of new villains - Virus Twins One and Two (played by real life brothers Neil and Adrian Rayment) - teaming up with Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith to kick Keanu's butt all the way back to virtual reality.
With Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne reprising their roles as the freedom-fighting trio, it looks like "The Matrix" sequels are on course to take the summer (and winter) box office by storm.
But with the two films being released so close together, is there a danger of "The Matrix Reloaded" turning into "Matrix Overloaded"?
Producer Joel Silver reckons that won't be the case, promising that the cliffhanger between episodes two and three will be perilous enough to keep fans begging for more. "We won't even have to advertise the third film, we'll just tell people the date, and they'll come," he bragged to one American interviewer late last year.
Warner Bros are keeping the plots of the two sequels as hush hush as possible. But the rumours are that "Reloaded" will pick up immediately where "The Matrix" left off, with Neo (Keanu Reeves) discovering more about the nature of the Matrix itself and how to defeat it.
In the aptly titled "Revolutions", Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity will team up with some other freedom fighters in the underground city of Zion. They battle the oppressive computer system in a final showdown.
Best of all, there's also plenty of revolutionary stuff happening behind-the-scenes. Visual effects supervisor John Gaeta promises that the sequels will trash the original's memorable "bullet-time" effects, turning them into "ancient history" as the Wachowskis use every trick in their digital arsenal.
Let's hope they succeed, if only because Keanu has reportedly taken a multi-million dollar pay cut in order to give the SFX department a much-needed injection of cash. Now that's real dedication.
"The Matrix Reloaded" opens in UK cinemas on Friday 23rd May 2003.
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