10 Fun Facts And Costume Ideas From The Matrix.

The Matrix is an iconic film series. It has been an inspiration for Science Fiction films since it first came out in 1999. This futuristic sci fi is based in a dystopian future expected to take place around the year of 2199. You could say the storyline is about the struggle between mankind and machine. This franchise also raises the question of ‘what is real?’ and ‘what is an illusion?’ In the original film the character Morpheus says:

”Unfortunately, no one can be told what The Matrix is. You'll have to see it for yourself.” -  IMDB (Quote from The Matrix)

The same thing can be said for The Matrix films. The Filmmakers Lana Wachowski (born June 21, 1965, formerly known as Larry Wachowski) and Lilly Wachowski (born December 29, 1967, formerly known as Andy Wachowski) have been working together for over 30 years with many successes.

This series has been a big inspiration for several outlets including fashion. These cosplayers and celebrities pictured below felt inspired by this Sci-Fi trilogy. Check out these photos and fun facts about  The Matrix.

1. THE STUDIO DIDN'T WANT THE WACHOWSKIS TO DIRECT

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The Wachowski’s were a pair of relatively unknown writer-directors.  Originally the studio didn’t want them to direct The Matrix.  They proved their success with directing the movie Bound in1996.  By writing and directing this crime thriller they convinced Warner Bros that they knew what they were doing.

2.THE MATRIX STARTED OUT AS A COMIC.

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The comic was originally released on the official website. Before writing The Matrix, both sisters had previously written comic books for Marvel. Many Popular comic writers and artist contributed to the books. 

3. THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GENDER-FLUID CHARACTER. 

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The character Switch was supposed to be gender-fluid. Later Switch was rewritten to make the character a woman in both realities. Many people interpret Switch and many of the movie's plot points as coded references towards transgender identity. Lana Wachowski came out as transgender in 2012, although she had transitioned years earlier. Lilly Wachowski came out as transgender in 2016.

4. ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY SHAPED THE TRILOGY.

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Yuen Woo-Ping is the martial arts director who did the fight choreography for The Matrix. Yuen Woo-Ping had shunned Hollywood until he met The Matrix directors and heard their plan to make a kung fu sci-fi film. He also choreographed the fights in Kill Bill (2003, 2004) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

5. BULLET TIME BECAME AN ICONIC ILLUSION.

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Bullet time is an illusion that was made with the help of visual effects supervisor John Gaeta. It is a visual effect that makes it look like the characters are dodging bullets in slow motion. The actors were surrounded with multiple cameras. The photos would be taken fractions of seconds apart or at the same time. Once this was done, the filmmakers pieced together the individual shots and created this illusion.

6. THE SUNGLASSES WERE CUSTOM-DESIGNED.

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The sunglasses were designed by BLINDE DESIGN. "What was interesting about those in 'The Matrix' is the way they reflected back to the viewer what they couldn't see on screen," said Kevin Jones, curator of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.  These glasses weren’t available to purchase until the film’s sequels ( The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions ) were released. Although we don’t have the Blinde Design's official "Matrix" glasses check out these  Glasses to complete your Matrix costume

7. THE MATRIX WAS FILMED IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.

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The directors wanted the film to have the impression of an American city. They kept up this impression by not including landmarks and editing them out of the film. Filming in Sydney, Australia helped establish New South Wales as a major film production center.

8. THE MATRIX CODE DESIGN IS A SUSHI RECIPE.

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Simon Whiteley is the creator of many visual effects for several blockbusters. The iconic matrix code is otherwise known as digital rain. This Digital rain was created with a bunch of  Sushi Recipes.

9. THE MATRIX HAS VIDEO GAMES.

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There have been three video games inspired by The Matrix series. the first game was Enter the Matrix(2003) then came The Matrix Online(2005) and The Matrix: Path of Neo(2005) The Wachowskis had a lot of creative input on the games. Their purpose was to expand the world of The Matrix by involving different storylines and exciting game features.

10. THE ACTORS HAD TO STUDY PHILOSOPHY.

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The Wachowskis wanted the main actors to gain knowledge and understanding of the world in the film. They were given a list of specific  books to read and study to further understand the world and to prepare for the role. One of the books makes an appearance in the film - "Simulacra and Simulation" by Jean Baudrillard.

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The Matrix has always been a multimedia effort and an inspiration to many from comics and films to video games and fashion. This series has been influencing the fashion scene since 1999 and It has been an inspiration to many.  The iconic look is something that is timeless and continues to influence the world of fashion.  The Matrix trilogy has been around for over 20 years and seems it will continue to grow a fan base and be relevant for many years to come.

Feeling inspired yet? Check out these Matrix costumes, the best science fiction costumes of characters like Neo and Trinity from the classic movie.