Thanks to The Wachowskis and Joel Silver, Keanu Reeves’ The Matrix saw the light of day after several roadblocks the movie endured. The sci-fi masterpiece went on to be a huge hit opening doors for more installments to the franchise.
The directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski went through several tests at Warner Brothers to convince the studio that they were capable of helming the $70 million project. They even took a different approach to presenting the screenplay. But then another set of challenges were lurking above the project, the constant rejections from the favored stars for the primary roles.
One Actor Turned Down The Matrix Saying The Movie Will Be Flop
The Matrix was released on 31 March 1999, and the movie has retained its fan following. But making it was far too complex. Newcomers Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski helmed the project but they had to convince Warner Brothers after facing several rejections from different studios. The producer of the film Joel Silver had faith in the project and supported the duo all along (per PEOPLE).
After getting the nod from Warner Brothers, another set of challenges haunted the production process, primarily, the casting. While Warner Bros. had control over casting, they struggled to lock their favored actors for the primary roles including Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, Agent Smith, and Seraph. While several actors turned the project down for one reason or another, Lou Diamond Phillips was reportedly considered for the project but his agents said, “It’s a guaranteed flop.”
Of course, the narrative was too complex for any actors at that time to directly nod to the project. Thankfully, Warner Brothers was able to lock Keanu Reeves and he excelled in the project and the movies in the franchise that came later.
Several Actors Rejected The Matrix
Before Keanu Reeves sealed the deal for The Matrix, several other actors were in the mix, or at least, Warner Brothers had high hopes to cast prominent faces in the film. The Wachowski siblings wanted Sandra Bullock in the project as they have considered changing Neo’s gender for her. But the actor rejected the role citing it was not something for her but later regretted saying The Matrix was “a movie I wish I had done,” (via Today).
Nicolas Cage also rejected Neo’s role citing family commitment (per Movie Web) while David Duchovny preferred X-Files over The Matrix. Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the project following his concern about the heavy use of VFX in the film, Brad Pitt wasn’t sure of the role as well. Further, Will Smith, Val Kilmer, and Johnny Depp were considered for the role but as we all know, Warner Brothers’ effort didn’t come to fruition.
Janet Jackson rejected Carrie-Anne Moss’ Trinity (per Movie Web). Jean Reno rejected Agent Smith’s role, and Russell Crowe was not sure about Morpheus. Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li turned down Seraph. Ultimately, Collin Chou went on to play the part in the franchise. Amid all odds, The Matrix shined as a franchise, the chemistry between Reeves and Moss was astounding, and it was a hammer on the nail for both Warner Brothers and The Wachowskis.
The Matrix is available to stream on Max.
