Audio Video News

Die-hard fans of the sci-fi film The Matrix will soon have a purchasing decision to make: Is Warner Home Video's latest Matrix-related DVD project a welcome new morsel of valuable information or the latest example of the movie industry's ongoing attempts to milk customers for all they're worth?

The studio announced last week that on November 20, it plans to release The Matrix Revisited, which it described as a "unique two and a half hour companion" to the four-time Academy Award–winning film. Warner says the new DVD will be brimming with new material from and about the original film as well as an exclusive look into the sequels planned for future release.

The just-completed project, the studio says, will include never-before-seen footage from the original film, new interviews with stars and filmmakers (Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, the Wachowski brothers, producer Joel Silver, and fight choreographer Master Yuen Wo Ping), background on the origins of The Matrix, information on how some of the special effects were developed, and the actors' grueling training regimens.

In addition, the studio says that viewers will get a sneak peek of behind-the-scenes footage from the film's upcoming sequels, and a preview of The Matrix anime project, including a first look at sketches, storyboards, interviews, and footage with the animators. "The DVD has more than three hours of hidden features including 188 minutes of music and seven minutes of concealed bonus video material. The hidden features are known as Easter Eggs and are accessible only to viewers who are able to discover them," says Warner.

The Matrix Revisited will be available on DVD for $19.98 and also bundled in a two-pack containing The Matrix Revisited and The Matrix for $39.98.