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EMPIRE INTERVIEW
Source: <Empire Online>
Thanks to: Rachel Simpson

Empire Online posted this report on the twins Adrian and Neil Rayment who will play two villains in the next installments. Matrixfansite.com has cut out the biggest spoilers though:

"Scary identical twins Adrian and Neil Rayment last night let slip some tantalising clues as to their characters’ significance in the most anticipated film of next year, The Matrix Reloaded.

Talking of their all-white, dreadlocked karate-kicking personae on BBC’s Liquid News, the British twins commented, “We play these rogue viruses within the matrix mainframe, We’re inherently evil.” A far cry indeed from their only previous screen success as – rather bizarrely - handy hunks to our own Carol Vorderman on ITV’s DIY show, Better Homes. And how did these two home improvement experts land parts in one of the coolest films of 2003? That would be because of their black belts in karate, then. The brothers added that – along with being identical twins – being able to kick serious arse was “one of the criteria” in a worldwide search the Wachowski brothers undertook to find their new villains.

[...]
The Matrix Reloaded will be released in May 2003 and, according to the brothers, should be doing the rounds at next years Cannes Film Festival."


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ANIMATRIX TRAILER ONLINE
Source: <TheMatrix.com>

The first preview trailer of the Animatrix is online! This first preview trailer is roughly 30 seconds. It is designed to let those unfamiliar with The Animatrix learn of the project's existence, and find out that all nine episodes will be released on DVD and video. For those following The Animatrix for some time, this news does not negate the planned online release of many of the episodes @ TheMatrix.com.

The trailer is in <Quicktime 5> format and available through the links below. Please visit the official site <TheMatrix.com>.

Animatrix preview trailer 56 seconds:
<640 x 282 - large> - 17,8 Mb
<480 x 210 - medium> - 12,9 Mb
<320 x 140 - small> - 6,5 Mb
<240 x 105 - micro> - 2,9 Mb


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MATRIX SHOOT FINISHED
Source: <Coming Soon>

Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss have gone home, Keanu Reeves won't be far behind and Hugo Weaving is making a mini-series in Melbourne. After more than 200 filming days, the two sequels to The Matrix are finally finishing their Sydney shoot, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

The giant undertaking of The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions involved 800 full-time and 2500 part-time jobs over 18 months. There was work for 60 actors and 10,000 days' work for extras. The contribution of the sequels to the economy exceeds $200 million.

Amid secrecy, directors Larry and Andy Wachowski started work on the sequels with a 70-day shoot for two major scenes in San Francisco. Early next month, they start a further 12-week shoot back in San Francisco.


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PROFESSOR IN SEQUELS
Source: <Countingdown>

Cornel West, a former Harvard professor who is known for interesting extracurricular activities, will be in The Matrix sequels, playing a character called Counselor West. He was invited by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the movies' writer-director team, who'd read West's early philosophical writings and wanted to incorporate him into the script.


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BAYSWATER POWER STATION IN SEQUELS
Source: <Countingdown>

MACQUARIE Generation's imposing Bayswater Power Station near Muswellbrook is taking on a new role as a location backdrop for one of next year's most anticipated movie sequels - The Matrix Reloaded. An international production crew has spent the past two days capturing images of the 1km-long, 12-metre high complex. Bayswater was called up after it won an industrial beauty contest. 'They had had a look at the other power stations, then they saw Bayswater and said "Yep, that's the one we want", Devine said.

The deal clincher was the power station's two cooling towers. Bayswater's precise role in the sequels is top secret but The Word can reveal that it will be represented as something quite different from a coal-fired Hunter Valley power station. 'It will be a scene setter,' Devine said. Base images shot at the power station this week will be worked over in special effects studios in the United States. 'We aren't really sure what environment will end up surrounding it (in the movie) but one thing it is not going to look much like is what it is in reality,', according to Macquarie Generation public affairs manager Jim Devine.)


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MAIL ON SUNDAY MATRIX REPORT
Source: Mail on Sunday
Thanks to: <Countingdown>

Mail on Sunday wrote an in-depth report on what to expect in The Matrix sequels. Keanu Reeves was asked to reveal something about the new films:

You must be kidding,' he says. 'All I can give you is an overview. The look of the sequels is more sophisticated and demanding. Instead of one-on-one fighting, I fight one against many. There are some cool new weapons as well. I've been trained in new martial-arts skills. I have surprised even myself in some of the scenes.' In the first film, computers had taken over the world and imprisoned humans in a 'virtual' reality.

Keanu Reeves and a producer both talk about how hard and secretive the production has been: 'It was tough,' says Reeves. 'I don't think people understand just how physically taxing this work is. I had to go on a very strict diet and endure vigorous, rigorous training. I started in October 2000 and have devoted my entire life to these films ever since.'

The directors of the original film, brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski, are secretive to the verge of paranoia about the sequels. 'The scripts were written in a special ink that couldn't be photocopied,' says one producer. 'The sets were closed. Nobody was allowed to bring in cameras and we all had special passes. They even hired a security firm to bring more minders and guards. It was like Fort Knox.'

Reeves says:?We are all aware that we are involved in making history. It's a great honour to be involved in these films. None of us wants to ruin it for the fans by remaining so secretive but we don't think anyone will be disappointed.'
What can be revealed, however, is that Reeves's character, Neo, goes to an underground city called Zion, inhabited by 250,000 people who have escaped their cyber-imprisonment.

Nona Gaye's character Zee is described as a 'mystical woman of Zion'. The article also tells us why Marcus Chong, who played Tank in the original Matrix, will not return. Apparently, he fell out with the producers over a bizarre incident in which he allegedly broke into the Matrix production offices.

What about bullet time? Everyone was blown away when the first film had "bullet time" in it,' said one insider. 'That was a composition of live and still photography, enhanced by computers to create this amazing, fluid-like effect. There is more of that in the sequels and a new technique that will blow everyone's socks off.' Special effects supervisor John Gaeta says: 'We've expanded on the bullet-time technique, although there has been a lot of pressure to do the effects without spending military-size budgets.'
Laurence Fishburne sounds almost evangelical when describing the special effects in the new films. 'We are doing things with cameras and technology that will set the standard for the future,' he says. Reeves says: 'We have invented new technologies for this film. In the first one, we invented bullet time, but this will be an even wilder ride.

Reeves had this to say about whether he is ready for the media onslaught that is inevitable: 'Who knows? I just hope the fans enjoy the films. Then I will have done my job.' )


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ANIMATRIX EPISODES REVEALED
Source: <The Matrix>

The official site has finally listed the titles of the Animatrix episodes that are set for a DVD release in 2003.

#1, The Second Renaissance - part 1 (Directed by Mahiro Maeda and written by Andy and Larry Wachowski)
#2, The Second Renaissance - part 2 (Directed by Mahiro Maeda and written by Andy and Larry Wachowski)


#3, Program (Written and directed by Yosiaki Kawajiri)


#4, Kid's Story (Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and written by Andy and Larry Wachowski)


#5, World Record (Directed by Takeshi Koike and written by Yosiaki Kawajiri)


#6, Beyond (Written and directed by Koji Morimoto)


#7, Matriculated (Written and directed by Peter Chung)


#8, Detective Story (Written and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe)


#9, The Final Flight of the Osiris (Directed by Andy Jones, Square USA and written by Andy and Larry Wachowski


All images are property of Warner Brothers. Please visit the official site, <TheMatrix.com>

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PRESS RELEASE ON TOY RIGHTS
Source: <Mc Farlane Toys>
Thanks to: <Matrix Fans>

TEMPE, Ariz.--Aug. 1, 2002

Agreement Includes Rights to Original Blockbuster and Highly Anticipated 2nd and 3rd Installments McFarlane Toys and Warner Bros. Consumer Products have joined forces to create action figures based on Warner Bros. Pictures' highly anticipated second and third installments of The Matrix(TM) trilogy, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, slated for release in 2003.

On May 15, 2003, Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, will release The Matrix Reloaded, the second installment of the Academy Award-winning blockbuster The Matrix. The third chapter, The Matrix Revolutions, will be released later in 2003.

Action figures based on the The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions will debut in conjunction with each film's release. McFarlane Toys is working closely with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to determine which characters will become action figures.

The product line will be geared to the adult collectible market and initial plans call for development of dioramas depicting critical scenes from each of the three movies.

"Powered by unique visual moments and strongly identifiable characters, The Matrix films are perfectly suited for action figures," said McFarlane Toys Founder Todd McFarlane. "We look forward to collaborating with our colleagues at Warner Bros. to create a Matrix action figure line that reflects the trilogy's highly stylized and innovative storytelling."

The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions reunites producer Joel Silver and writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski with stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving, who reprise their roles from The Matrix, the acclaimed action thriller that won four Academy Awards, accumulated over $460 million in worldwide box office and was the first DVD title to sell 1 million units.

Grammy- and Emmy-winning Producer/Director Todd McFarlane, best known as the creator of Spawn and the founder of SPAWN.COM, is the creative force behind McFarlane Toys.

The international award-winning company is one of America's top action figure manufacturers with several successful movie-licensing tie-ins, including Shrek; X-Files; Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow; the first two Austin Powers films; the Beatles' Yellow Submarine; Akira and the company's seminal Movie Maniacs series featuring horror icons from such films as Texas Chainsaw Massacre; Friday the 13th; The Thing; Army of Darkness; Terminator and Terminator 2; The Fly; Blair Witch; Scream; A Nightmare on Elm Street; Halloween and more.

The company also makes officially licensed figures for baseball, football, basketball and hockey, as well as music, electronic games and McFarlane's signature creation, Spawn. For more information about McFarlane and the McFarlane companies, visit www.spawn.com.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products is a division of Warner Bros., an AOL Time Warner Co., and is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

MATRIX, characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of and (c) Warner Bros. (s02)

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© 2002 Code 808