ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

The Green Code In 'The Matrix's Opening Sequence Is Actually A Sushi Recipe

The Green Code In 'The Matrix's Opening Sequence Is Actually A Sushi Recipe

Simon Whiteley, the production designer on the film, revealed what it means

James Dawson

James Dawson

It's coming up to nearly two decades since the Matrix was release but its opening remains as eerie as it did back in 1999. The green characters emerging from the top of the screen; an apparently indecipherable code... then the figure of Carrie-Anne Moss sat alone at a computer. Just thinking about it is giving me goose bumps.

Although the sequels never quite lived up to the original, the sequence was so good that the Wachowskis - responsible for directing the movie - opened their subsequent movies in the franchise with the same green text. However, it turns out there's a secret meaning behind the text, which means on further examination the coding is less creepy than first appears. See if you can figure it out, here:

Credit: Warner Bros

If you swallow the red pill and take a closer look, the green rain of characters show a range of sushi recipes. In an interview with CNet last week, production designers on the film Simon Whiteley revealed that the source of the text was taken from his Japanese wife's cookbooks -specifically the sushi recipes inside them.

The SFX and computer-generated imagery used in the film - particularly the 'bullet time' shots - are among the things that made it way ahead of its time. In fact, it would look very weird with the special effects taken off

The folks at CineFix have dedicated a whole series to showing how movies would have played out without computer generated imagery and as you can see in the film above, it's pretty fucking odd.

With its cult status, it's one of those movies that inspires shedloads of parodies and fan videos. Will Smith was originally wanted to play the role of Neo rather than Keanu Reeves - and although he turned it down to star in Wild Wild West - YouTuber The Unusual Suspect has expertly spliced clips from the 1999 film with footage of Will doing his thing.

Smith has claimed he turned down The Matrix partly because he didn't 'get' the plot.

He told Wired magazine: "You know, The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn't see it. I watched Keanu's performance - and very rarely do I say this - but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix.

"At that point I wasn't smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be. Let the movie and the director tell the story, and don't try and perform every moment."

Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros

Topics: Film News, Entertainment News, The Matrix, TV and Film, Film and TV