KEANU REEVES ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS ARCHIVE

2002

And in 2002 (actually since the first movie came out), the pre-Matrix sequel hype really started to heap up. This resulted in, among other things, some very amusing speculations about what was going to happen in the sequels, and supposed insider info that on hindsight was very, very wrong. (I still want to know what happened to that film with the 100 Neo clones...)

One of the things I like best about the 2002 section are the various set reports and other small bits of trivia that civilians would submit to websites and their continuing efforts to construct a picture of just what the sequels were going to be like. In a way it says a lot about the Internet age where just about anyone with access to a computer can get their voice heard. Vox populi. I like the enthusiasm that so many fans displayed; in some of the articles their palpable excitement really comes through and shows just how much they were anticipating the Matrix sequels. (Possibly for the worst, because standards were set far too high, and the final films could not quite deliver for many of these people.)

I have also gained a far greater appreciation for the sequels since knowing the amount of effort that so many people put into their development. There was a lot of love and commitment there.

And in many ways I think that the hype leading up to the Matrix sequels was as much a part of the Matrix phenomenon as the actual trilogy and related productions. The flurry of excitement that followed every new picture or plot tidbit; the wild speculations of what would happen next; the long hours spent at spots where the sequels were rumoured to be filming...

This is fandom.

2002