The Matrix

: This article is about the film The Matrix. For other usages of the term, see Matrix.

The Matrix series and franchise

The Matrix earned $171 million in the USA and $456 million worldwide. The movie's relatively unexpected mainstream success outside of cult following led to the greenlighting of the next two films of what the Wachowskis maintain was conceived as a trilogy, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. It was a number of years and several iterations of scripts before the final movies were approved, and there is continued debate among viewers over whether they genuinely exceed the quality and conceptual heights of the original film or are disappointing lesser achievements.

Related Topics:
Wachowskis - The Matrix Reloaded - The Matrix Revolutions

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Also released was The Animatrix, a collection of nine animated short films created in the Japanese animé style that was a strong influence on the trilogy. The Animatrix was overseen and approved by the Wachowski brothers but they only wrote four of the segments themselves and did not direct any of them; much of the project was created by notable figures from the world of animé. Four of the films were originally released on the series' official website; one was shown in cinemas with Dreamcatcher; the others first appeared with the DVD release of all nine shorts.

Related Topics:
The Animatrix - Animated - Japan - Animé - Dreamcatcher

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The franchise contains three video games: Enter the Matrix, which depicted events linked to the story of The Matrix Reloaded and which contained footage shot specifically for the game; The Matrix Online, a MMORPG which continues the story beyond The Matrix Revolutions; and ', which is due to be released in 2005 and will focus on situations based on Neo's journey through the trilogy of films.

Related Topics:
Enter the Matrix - The Matrix Online - MMORPG - 2005

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Available on the official website are a number of free comics set in the world of The Matrix and written and illustrated by figures from the comics industry. Some of these comics are also available in two printed volumes.

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