The Matrix became a hit movie when it premiered 18 years ago. The visual world of the Wachowski’s was ground-breaking and light years ahead of other films that premiered in the late ‘90s. Part of the green atmosphere with the lines of code that filled the screen was probably one of the most iconic features of the movie. To most people, it looked like a bunch of gibberish. But, apparently, the rabbit hole is deeper than that.
Simon Whitely is a production and art designer who was hired to design ‘The Matrix’ and that included the code you see in the movie. Whiteley is currently on a press tour promoting his latest work for The Lego Ninjago Movie and broke the news what that Matrix code actually means.
Whiteley told CNET that he scanned recipes from his wife’s Japanese cookbook to make to make the iconic green letters that flow across the screens in the movie.
“I like to tell everybody that The Matrix’s code is made out of Japanese sushi recipes,” Whiteley explains.
The recipes could be anything. The whole time The Matrix could be giving us the recipe for a killer shrimp tempura dragon roll. Now, with The Matrix code revealed, it is only a matter of days before someone creates a video using a recipe they found in The Matrix.
Meet the man behind the Matrix code, and a bunch of your favorite movieshttps://t.co/QHFTAuOZHb pic.twitter.com/gTKDeERQEe
— CNET (@CNET) October 19, 2017
The success of the first movie led to two feature film sequels, both written and directed by the Wachowskis. The franchise further expanded into comic books, video games, and short films. The Matrix received Academy Awards for several categories including film editing, sound effects editing, visual effects, and sound. That said, despite all of the acclaim, the movie was partly blamed for the Columbine shooting.