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This article was published as part of a series that originally ran in February 2019.
We are republishing it to mark the 25th anniversaryThe Matrixs 25th anniversary.
Would critics get it?
Would audiences even show up?
The answers were yes (mostly) and yes (decidedly).
The film seemed to come out of nowhere.
Raised in the South Chicago neighborhood of Beverly, the siblings start creating together at an early age.
But college wont last long for either.
It will, however, serve as a calling card.
September 1993But first: comics.
Its a more significant first step in the siblings career than it might first appear.
Furthermore, its while attempting to conceptualize a comic of their own thatThe Matrixwill start to take shape.
1994Things start to take off for the Wachowskis.
De Laurentiis then options it for $10,000.
Warner Bros. production chief Lorenzo di Bonaventura signs the Wachowskis to a multi-script deal.
October 6, 1995Assassinshits theaters in a form the Wachowskis will later call an abortion.
The Wachowskis have to be dissuaded from trying to take their name off the film.
Late 1996But this doesnt mean theyve soured on everyone with whom theyve worked.
Theyll soon work with de Laurentiis again, andAssassinsproducer Joel Silver will play a major role inThe Matrix.
Their relationship with Warner Bros. remains intact as well.
August 31, 1996Bounddebuts at the Venice Film Festival.
Spring 1997The Wachowskis get the green light to makeThe Matrixon a $60 million budget.
Getting to this point isnt easy, however, requiring the support of both Silver and di Bonaventura.
But getting the go-ahead creates problems of its own.
To save money, the film will be shot in Sydney, Australia.
And for it to work, it would have to nail them.
Fall 1997Months before shooting, training begins for the main cast.
One problem: Reeves is already recovering from a herniated disc.
Further complicating matters: Moss will sprain her ankle and Weaving will need surgery when he injures his hip.
Later, hell crack two ribs and hurt his wrist.
At that point,he toldEntertainment Weeklyin 1999, I thought, Oh, who cares?
March 1998Filming begins in Sydney after a Buddhist ceremony.
It is, by all accounts, a demanding but harmonious process.
And though the film goes over schedule, Warner Bros. likes what it sees and increases the effects budget.
August 1998Filming ends and post-production begins.
The Wachowskis will stay in Australia until November, then continue editing the film until shortly before its release.
Another sign of possible trouble: The previous years similarly themedDark Citystruggled at the box office.
In theaters, the trailers will cryptically tell (warn?)
You have to see it for yourself.
Others will be more sympathetic, and more in line with audiences.
In Slate, for instanceDavid Edelstein praises itas one of the more lyrical sci-fi action thrillers ever made.
Meanwhile, the Wachowskis retreat to Chicago.
April 20, 1999There is a dark side to success, of course.
(That and the films open fetishization of firearms, of course.)
Anticipation begins for films fans now expect to be even more mind-blowing than whats come before.
