Actress Priyanka Chopra has found her place in the 'Matrix' world, which is one of the most well-known and successful film franchises in history. Chopra plays Sati in the film, directed by Lana Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the lead roles. The film is scheduled to release on December 22, 2021.
Chopra made her career in Bollywood blockbusters before crossing countries and audiences to break into Hollywood, playing opposite Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron in the 'Baywatch' adaptation and then starring in the spy thriller 'Quantico.' She's now starring with Richard Madden from 'Game of Thrones' in Amazon's thriller 'Citadel.'
In 2018, after attending Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding in May. Chopra married US singer Nick Jonas in a lavish Indian ceremony in Jodhpur in 2018,
In an interview with the studio house, which was exclusively accessed by Outlook India, Chopra talks about her role in 'The Matrix Resurrections', about the movie, and working with the stellar cast of the film.
As a fan, as an artist, what does stepping into the world of 'The Matrix' mean to you?
Just to be a part of the legacy of The Matrix franchise is such an honor and so exciting. I remember when I got a call that Lana wanted to meet me, I was in India at that time, and I was on the next flight to San Francisco. And that’s just how much I was excited about being a part of this, especially because this movie brings Neo and Trinity back and it furthers the first Matrix movie. It makes it so much more exciting.
What was your experience working with Lana Wachowski?
She’s a leader, and she’s very specific about the characters that we play. She understands this world like nobody else. She’s probably the only person in the world—or one of the only few people in the world—that knows what the Matrix is. So, it was important for me to follow her leadership.
And this phenomenal cast—with whom did you work?
I worked with almost everyone in the cast except, Jonathan [Groff] and Neil [Patrick Harris]. It was wonderful. The first time I saw the entire cast standing together I had a little bit of a fangirl moment. And then, of course, you know, Jada [Pinkett Smith], Yahya [Abdul-Mateen II], Jessica [Henwick], Eréndira [Ibarra], so many of the cast that I had such a great time getting to know and work with. I think I’ve made friends for life and that’s really wonderful. Also, I had worked with Brian Smith in Quantico, and it was wonderful to work with him again.
And Lana Wachowski ’s vision—just so detailed. Everything from a light angle to a piece of costume to a visual effect. What was it like on those sets?
I think just being on-set and seeing the level of detail—and not just production design, but how intentional every single element of this production was —was very cool to see. And I was most excited about actually seeing some of the sets that were recreated from the first movie.
How would you sum up your character?
I think the way I would sum my character up is she’s a woman with purpose, and she has been waiting to recognize this purpose her whole life. And when her path crosses with Neo’s, it’s not the first time. I think there’s something really powerful about a woman who is intentional, and she’s that. There’s quiet confidence she exudes because she knows that she was going to be in this moment for her whole life.
Can you tell me how your teenage self experienced that first movie? What do you remember?
I watched it in a theater with friends, but what I remember thinking was, “This is magic,” “How did they do this? How did they shoot this movie?” It made me so curious about the FX in cinema. And especially, when I joined movies myself, it was just very cool to remember The Matrix as being one of the first projects that brought those things to my attention in such a stylistic way.
What sort of experiences did you have as a child and as a teenager growing up in the worlds of fantasy and science fiction?
Oh, I loved books and comics—from Nancy Drew to [Enid Blyton’s] Famous Five, to fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. I used to love books at that time, and comics were something I was very fascinated by. Having grown up around the world, I read comic books from around the world; I used to read Asterix and Obelix, and I used to read Tintin, or Archie, or Chacha Chaudhary in India. So it was like the comic book characters of wherever we were living were my favorite playmates.
This film was clothed in secrecy. How much was revealed to you at the beginning?
Well, initially, it was just called Project Ice Cream [its code name]. And I was initially just given my sides and told about the character. And then eventually, Lana gave me the script after I met her and she told me she wanted me to be a part of the movie, to play this character. So, it was really cool when she told me in her office—she was like, “Just grab the script,” and it was fresh off the presses. It was pretty awesome. I love a freshly printed script.
Oh, that’s amazing. What do you think about 'The Matrix' Trilogy, and the characters of Neo and Trinity—why have they stayed in our hearts?
I think it’s the idea of the movie itself. It questions everything we know as reality and it talks about consciousness. It talks about perception and is perception reality or is reality, reality? And that’s something I think everyone can relate to. And both Neo and Trinity are these awesome underdogs—played so beautifully by Keanu and Carrie-Anne—that you want to be on their journey, and you want them to be together. And it’s just iconic.
Red pull or blue bill?
Red pill.
