Released in tandem with The Matrix Reloaded, this dazzling anthology of nine short films digs deeper into the universe of The Matrix and pays tribute to the mind-expanding anime that first inspired the Wachowski siblings.
The story goes that, when in Japan on the promotional tour for The Matrix, the Wachowskis used the opportunity to meet with the anime and video game studios that so deeply inspired them and their 1999 sci-fi blockbuster. Following those meetings and conversations, the idea for The Animatrix was born.
Apart from two shorts helmed by US-based filmmakers – ‘Matriculated’, written and directed by Aeon Flux creator Peter Chung and ‘The Final Flight of the Osiris’, directed by Oscar-winning VFX veteran Andy Jones – The Animatrix serves as a showcase for both legendary and rising-star talent from the world of Japanese animation.
Produced by Madhouse and Studio 4°C, these short films include ‘Kid’s Story’ and ‘A Detective Story’ from Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop), ‘Program’ from Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Wicked City), ‘World Record’ from Takeshi Koike (Redline), ‘Beyond’ from Koji Morimoto (Memories, Akira) and ‘The Second Renaissance’ from Mahiro Maeda (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Castle in the Sky, Porco Rosso).
On release in 2003, The Animatrix provided budding fans with a gateway into the vast, exciting world of Japanese animation: a world where anything is possible.
Ghibliotheque presents is a monthly screening series at the Prince Charles that showcases the best of Japanese animation. Each screening is picked and introduced by Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham, co-hosts of the animation podcast Ghibliotheque and co-authors of the Ghibliotheque Anime Movie Guide, which charts a path through the wildly creative and influential anime industry with 30 standout feature films, from Akira to Your Name.
An anthology of short films that detail the backstory of the 'Matrix' universe and focus on the original war between man and machines which led to its creation.