The Matrix franchise has to be one of the greatest sci-fi movie series ever made that has pushed the genre to a new height. But it was never easy to make it. There were a lot of changes in the cast of several characters, including Neo and Trinity. But interestingly, the Wachowskis presented the script in a very different way.
Directed by the Wachowski siblings; Lilly Wachowski and Lana Wachowski, The Matrix franchise started on a weird note, at least not what Warner Brothers expected. The duo reportedly presented the script in a format that was beyond the wildest imagination of the studio. No wonder they picked it up after several rejections from so many different studios.
The Unusual Presentation Of The Matrix Script By The Wachowskis
The first installment of The Matrix was released on 31 March 1999 and is still a conversation starter for many moviegoers who are soaked in the love for sci-fi. The Matrix was stunning, philosophically enriched, and complemented by the marvelous storytelling of the Wachowski siblings. However, the directors have endured several roadblocks to make the movie script transform into a film.
It was too complex a narrative for the producers of different studios, but Lilly Wachowski and Lana Wachowski were not ready to give up. So they changed their methodology. “Every single person in town rejected it,” Lana Wachowski told Buzzfeed in an interview.
The director duo finally saw the light of day for the dystopian sci-fi thriller after Joel Silver discovered the script. “The minute I started reading the script for The Matrix, I wanted to see it,” Silver, who produced the movie, told Wired.
But this time, the directors did something different. They had created a 600-page comic book detailing every scene based on the script. Executive Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed that it was one of the most “unusual” things he had ever witnessed. “One of the Wachowskis was explaining the story, and the other was making sound-effect noises,” he told Wired. Fortunately, the presentation worked, and they easily convinced the executives with their captivating presentation.
Warner Brothers Spent $6 Million To Test The Wachowskis
Warner Brothers needed more convincing to put their trust in The Wachowski siblings. Following their demand to direct the movie, Warner Brothers put the duo in a test that cost the studio $6 million. Before greenlighting the $70 million project, Silver gave the directors the task of directing Bound— a crime drama that cost the studio $6 million, but came to be a critical darling with a huge fan following.
Still, it was not enough for the studio, and the duo hired underground comic book artists Geof Darrow and Steve Skroce for shot-by-shot storyboards.
But their style of direction was very different from other directors. “They are really self-contained,” Susie Bright, who appeared in a cameo in Bound. “They are not into giving acting lessons. None of that. It was like, ‘Let’s go,'” she continued. Detailing it, she added that when one of the siblings wanted an actress to bring more attitude, the director simply said, “Give it a little bit more mustard.”
The movie starring Keanu Reeves did wonders, collecting over $465 million at the box office.
The Matrix is available to stream on Max.
