A Movie Like <em>The Matrix </em>Might Never Happen Again
On its 20th anniversary, the sci-fi classic is as dazzlingly original as ever—too much so for the risk-averse Hollywood of today.
A from Will Smith confirmed a long-standing piece of Hollywood trivia: He was the first choice to play Neo, the lead role in the Wachowskis’ , but he turned it down. The decision was one he says he’s “not proud of,” but his reasoning was simple—he didn’t understand the pitch he had received from the filmmakers at all. “Imagine you’re in a fight,” Smith recalls the sibling director duo telling him during a meeting. “And then you, like, —and imagine if you could stop jumping in the middle of the jump.” Smith might be exaggerating for comedy’s sake, but the—demanding in terms of both concept and cost—get made in the first place?
