Editing The Wachowskis (section)

=== ''The Matrix'' franchise ===
{{main|The Matrix (franchise)|l1=The Matrix (franchise)}}
They completed ''The Matrix'', a [[Science fiction film|science fiction]] action film, in 1999. The movie stars [[Keanu Reeves]] as [[Neo (The Matrix)|Neo]], a hacker recruited by a rebellion to aid them in the fight against machines who have taken over the world and placed humanity inside a [[simulated reality]] called "the Matrix". [[Laurence Fishburne]], [[Carrie-Anne Moss]], [[Hugo Weaving]] and [[Joe Pantoliano]] also star. The movie was a critical and commercial hit for Warner Bros. It won four Academy Awards, including for [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|"Best Visual Effects"]] for popularizing the [[bullet time]] visual effect. ''The Matrix'' came to be a [[The Matrix#Legacy|major influence for action movies]] and has appeared in several "greatest science fiction films" lists.<ref>{{cite web |last=Heritage |first=Stuart |title=The Matrix: No 13 best sci-fi and fantasy film of all time |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/21/matrix-wachowskis-science-fiction |url-status=live |work=The Guardian |date=October 21, 2010 |access-date=October 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009062236/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/21/matrix-wachowskis-science-fiction |archive-date=October 9, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/top-25-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time |url-status=live |publisher=IGN|access-date=October 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002025638/http://www.ign.com/articles/top-25-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time?page=4 |archive-date=October 2, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2008/12/12/sci-fi-25-best-82/ |title=Sci-Fi 25: The best since '82|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 8, 2007 |access-date=December 5, 2021  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508042743/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20036782_20037403_20037541_25%2C00.html |archive-date=May 8, 2007 }}</ref> In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-dec-19-la-et-mn-national-film-registry-20121217-story.html|title=National Film Registry selects 25 films for preservation|first=Susan|last=King|date=December 19, 2012|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=January 23, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005222926/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/19/entertainment/la-et-mn-national-film-registry-20121217|archive-date=October 5, 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Wachowskis.jpg|thumb|The Wachowskis at the 2004 [[San Diego ComicCon]]]]

After its success, the Wachowskis directed two sequels [[Back to back film production|back-to-back]], ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' and ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]'', both released in 2003. ''The Matrix Reloaded'' received positive critical reception, although not on the level of the original.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/matrix_reloaded/|title=The Matrix Reloaded|date=May 15, 2003 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=October 1, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916234117/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/matrix_reloaded|archive-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> It became a major box office hit, retaining the spot of the highest-grossing [[R rating (Motion Picture Association of America)|R-rated film]] for over a decade (until 2016's ''[[Deadpool (film)|Deadpool]]'').<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/deadpool-box-office-biggest-r-rated-movie-1201740907/|title='Deadpool' Overtakes 'Matrix Reloaded' as Highest-Grossing R-Rated Movie|first=Brent|last=Lang|date=March 29, 2016|work=Variety|access-date=October 1, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926151125/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/deadpool-box-office-biggest-r-rated-movie-1201740907/|archive-date=September 26, 2016}}</ref> ''The Matrix Revolutions'' received a mixed critical reception and performed only moderately in the box office. Although profitable, it was slightly less so compared to the original film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/matrix_revolutions/|title=The Matrix Revolutions|date=November 5, 2003 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=October 1, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916234329/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/matrix_revolutions|archive-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=matrixrevolutions.htm|title=The Matrix Revolutions (2003)|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=October 1, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925045720/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=matrixrevolutions.htm|archive-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>

During production of the first film, the Wachowskis and Spencer Lamm, who ran the film's official website, developed comics based on the setting of the film, which were published free of charge on the website. These and a few short stories were released in three series from 1999 to 2003, with several of them (along with new material) collected in two print volumes in 2003 and 2004. The Wachowskis themselves contributed "Bits and Pieces", a prequel to the movie that explains the origins of the Matrix, featuring illustrations by [[Geof Darrow]], the movie's conceptual designer. Other writers and artists that contributed to the series include [[Neil Gaiman]], [[Dave Gibbons]], [[Paul Chadwick]], [[Ted McKeever]], [[Poppy Z. Brite]], and [[Steve Skroce]].

After Lilly Wachowski came out as transgender, she encouraged looking back on her and Lana's works "through the lens of our transness", saying that the themes of identity, self-image and transformation are apparent in ''The Matrix''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.themarysue.com/the-matrix-trans-lens/|title=Lilly Wachowski Acknowledges Re-Examination of ''The Matrix'' With Lens Focused on Transness|last=Lachenal|first=Jessica|date=April 5, 2016|website=The Mary Sue|access-date=October 30, 2018}}</ref>