Before the John Wick movies cemented Keanu Reeves as one of the most badass actors in the industry, it was The Matrix movies that launched him into stardom and revolutionized the sci-fi landscape. Despite being one of the most influential movies of all time, the hype around the IP eventually washed off after the two underwhelming sequels and the failure of the recent film.
However, before things turned worse for the franchise after the sequels, the hype for The Matrix Reloaded was enormous, with fans excited to see how Neo’s story unfolds. Among them, one of them was Monica Belluci, who was astonished by the first movie and eventually got a chance to star in the highly anticipated sequel.
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Keanu ReevesMonica Bellucci was enthralled after being offered to star in The Matrix Reloaded
Following her performance in The Apartment, which shot her to stardom, Monica Bellucci soon got the opportunity to star in the sequel of one of her most beloved movies. Considering that after watching The Matrix, Monica Bellucci was adamant about making something like that, getting the opportunity to star in its sequel was a dream come true for the actress. After the Wachowskis called her to offer the role of Persephone, Monica Bellucci was fascinated by the opportunity. While reflecting on the experience Monica Bellucci stated,
“I went to see Matrix, the first one, and I came out from the theater and I said, ‘Oh my God, I want to make a movie like that.’ And then, I was in America presenting Malèna, and the Wachowskis called me. They wanted to meet me. And they offered me Persephone. I was so happy. Then I was in Sydney, shooting the movie. That’s the story. That’s the way it is”
Even though the sequel failed to live up to its predecessor’s height, the scene of Monica Bellucci’s Persephone sharing a passionate kiss with Reeves’ Neo remains one of the highlights of the movie. However, it seems that the first movie that ended up leaving a huge impact on the fans and the actress, might not ended up being the case as Keanu Reeves almost lost the role due to injuries.
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Monica Bellucci in The Matrix Reloaded (2003)Keanu Reeves almost lost the role of Neo in The Matrix due to injuries
Before the John Wick movies, Keanu Reeves was widely known for the role of Neo from The Matrix, but it seems, it might not have ended up being the case, following the actor’s long list of injuries. Considering that the actor was involved in the filming of Speed and They Call Him Bodhi prior to The Matrix, those movies led the actor to suffer some neck injuries. However, with Reeves adamant about doing The Matrix, he decided to keep his struggles a secret, which eventually resulted in the actor going through surgeries. Reeves explained the situation by stating,
“I said yes to Matrix and four months into the training, but it was pretty bad so I went to a neck doctor and I also had spinal stenosis, my spine was being mutilated, basically. I never told anyone because I didn’t want to tell anyone I couldn’t do the movie.”
Keanu Reeves as Neo
Even though the later entries, including the recent The Matrix Resurrections, never manage to recreate the magic of the first one, The Matrix‘s contribution to the sci-fi genre remains enormous.
The Matrix Reloaded is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: A.frame
