The Matrixis still considered one of the most influential pieces of cinema in the action and sci-fi genre, which is a remarkable feat for a modest budget that went on to garner profit.The Matrixfranchise can be divisive, although the impact it has had as a cultural phenomenon is hard to dispute. The 1999 cult classic follows a resistance group fighting to break free from a virtual prison, set in a dystopian future withKeanu Reeves' Neoat the very core of the narrative. The enduring popularity and commercial success ofThe Matrixhas led to three sequels.
WhileThe Matrix Reloaded,The Matrix Revolutions, andThe Matrix Resurrectionsreunite some existingcharacters inThe Matrixtrilogy, they never lived up to the hype of the original movie and the quality of the property has waned in recent years, according to some critics and viewers alike. Although the sequels were not entirely unnecessary, it was always going to be difficult to follow in the footsteps of the global phenomenon the original caused. However, this only serves tohighlight the Wachowski siblings' impressive enterprise on a modest budget forThe Matrix,solidifying its status as a highly influential film.
The Studio Contributions Were Minimal
The Matrixhad an incredibly modest budget for a production of the time. With only $65 million to work with, the movie had a relatively strong advantage when it came to box office profits, as it meant it was not such a huge feat to break even. What is interesting isWarner Brothers only awarded a sixth of the $60 million budget the film required. As a result, Wachowski put effort into the first action scene they shot, to send it back to the studio and counteract their concerns, hoping it would convince them to award them a larger budget.
However, it should be noted the rates of inflation mean thatThe Matrix’s budget would be the equivalent of approximately $110 million today. Of course, the film also benefited from the public endorsement of other prominent directors, such as QuentinTarantino who called the premiere “a mindblowing experience,"(viaAll The Right Movies) before putting it in his top 20 movies of the decade, between 1992 and 2009. Not to mention James Cameron, who dubbedThe Matrixas“one of the most profoundly fresh science fiction films ever made,"— momentous praise from the individual so well-regarded in that genre.
The Matrix Made $466 Million At The Box Office
The Matrix Achieved Many Milestones Throughout Its Theatrical run
The Matrixis the Wachowskis' second film afterBound— a thriller from 1996 that fell short of takings during its run at the box office. Despite this, the film received critical praise for its intricate narrative, which meant all eyes were onThe Matrixas the duo’s succeeding project. This ultimately meantThe Matrixremained in the number one spot for three non-consecutive weekends. Not to mention, the year concluded withThe Matrixas one of the highest-grossing films of 1999, coming in close behind the frontrunners,Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, andToy Story 2.
The movie opened on the last weekend of March leading into April, where it ranked as the largest opening of that month in history.
A good proportion ofThe Matrix’s popularity can be attributed to its organic growth through word-of-mouth. This resulted inThe Matrixstaying in theaters for over five months, which is a remarkable lifespan for any feature. The movie opened on the last weekend of March leading into April, where it ranked as the largest opening of that month in history.The Matrixkept the same momentum throughout and finished its run with $466 million at the box office, with $171 million of that domestic, off an incredibly low budget, though the sequels did not perform so well.
How Much the Matrix Sequels Made Compared To The First Movie
The Matrix Sequels Could Not Keep The Momentum Of The First Movie
In the wake of the original, the property was expected to perform rather well in future installments, but it was, unfortunately, not the case for the sci-fi sequels.The immediate sequel isThe Matrix Reloaded, which was one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year. While the movie started out strong,The Matrix Reloadedsuffered from mixed reviews and poor word-of-mouth and continued to declinein the weeks following its release. That being said, it was still the best performer of the collection, with the following two items exhibiting a continued decline with each subsequent release.
1999
$65 million
$466 million
2003
$150 million
$742 million
$427 million
2021
$190 million
$160 million
Interestingly,The Matrix ReloadedandThe Matrix Revolutionswere both released in 2003 and have both become incredibly contentious in the franchise. With the more recent installment not faring that much better, it begs whether any version ofThe Matrix 4could have been a box-office success. There are several reasons as to why all three sequels ofThe Matrixdid not perform well commercially. In particular,The Matrix Resurrections,and the unwise decision to release less than a week afterSpider-Man: No Way Home,which dominated the box office for an entire month after its release.
